Song Remains the Same

Chapter Guide

"This story is too damn long!"
— Everyone

This list summarizes the chapters of this story since Song Remains the Same is incredibly lengthy.

This guide serves as a way that you can refresh your memory and/or read the story without actually reading the story, or find the chapter you're looking for quickly.

1. BORN TO RUN

The story opens late in season three with the Winchesters doing business as usual even though Dean's death day is approaching (only a couple of weeks away). Alex expresses concern to Sam about what's coming closer all the quicker but in denial and unable to talk about it, Sam shuts her down. While driving, Dean reflects on Alex's recent, unexplained, and suspicious acquisition of her voice after a life of being totally mute before. He feels there must be some supernatural explanation—not only did her voice just come back, but she has been speaking easily for the most part after a couple weeks of learning "the ropes." In the back seat, his sister is trying to believe they will find a way to save Dean from his fate, and afraid of losing her big brother who she is definitely more close to. Everyone is walking on eggshells, trying to fight what's inevitable.

2. DEAD WALKING

Four months and a half months later we see Alex at Bobby's going through the motions. It's revealed that she and Sam went separate ways after Dean died. They fought and exchanged harsh words amidst their grief and she hasn't heard from him since and is too proud and hurt to try and go find him now. She is very deeply grieved and not doing well in her brothers' absences, but she is the type to just follow along with whatever authority figure is closest. Bobby is like a dad to her. While she is loading some rounds for Bobby in the basement, she hears a scuffle upstairs and grabs a weapon, runs up there only to find Dean with Bobby. Refusing to believe that is actually be her brother, she holds him at gunpoint and demands to know what is going on. Bobby says he already did holy water and salt, so he's not a demon or a shifter. Dean pleads his case and she notices a tic he has always had and is convinced. Overjoyed, brother and sister are reunited. Then Dean asks where Sam is and is unhappy to learn of that situation. Chapter ends with everyone nervously wondering who or what raised Dean and why.

3. RULE OF THIRDS

Bobby, Dean, and Alex set to work finding Sam. They track him down to the town where Dean came out of the ground from. They find him with a young woman and when Sam sees Dean, he attacks. The siblings are all at odds, especially Sam and Alex. Alex rides with Bobby when they leave instead of with her brothers. She laments that having a voice is sometimes a curse because she has no filter and isn't good at knowing how to communicate herself—she feels responsible for her/Sam's problems. Bobby comforts her the best he can. Meanwhile the brothers converse tensely about what went wrong when Dean died. They head to a psychic friend of Bobby's in hopes that they can learn who/what raised Dean.

4: HEAVEN HELP ME

The psychic Pamela holds a seance in which she hears the name 'Castiel' and demands he show his face to her. Her eyes are subsequently burned out and we cut to the hospital where Bobby and Alex have stayed with her to see her through. That night Alex hears Sam sneaking out and follows him because she is very suspicious of him and his recent shifty behavior. She sees him get into the Impala and leave inexplicably. She is distracted from her investigation when the motel begins to shake and Dean is heard screaming in their room. She and Bobby drag him out of his room and they hit the road, certain that this 'Castiel' creature is in pursuit. Dean and Alex talk Bobby into trapping the creature and trying to kill it. Bobby is an unwilling participant. They set up a huge trap in an abandoned building and have every weapon conceivable ready. Bobby summons Castiel and when he finally shows up, he claims to be an angel. He knocks Bobby unconscious with a mere touch and makes to do the same to Alex but Dean jumps in front of his sister and doesn't allow it. The angel claims Dean was raised to life to carry out God's work and he also comments on Alex's 'new voice' which startles her completely. There's an intensity to him that is both scary and intriguing to Alex, and he seems especially interested in her. He leaves the brother and sister dumbfounded, saying he'll be in touch soon.

5. GHOSTS OF THE PAST

The next day, Sam is questioning them about this supposed angel. Dean has decided it's a BS claim, Alex is trying to remain open minded, Sam is as well. Bobby suggests they get to researching and they do. A call comes in from one of his hunter friends who's in trouble. The boys go to assist while Alex stays behind to keep researching. The thought is that Bobby's home is safest so she'll be fine alone. The next day Alex is exhausted from her in-depth study of angel lore. She gets a call from Dean who says there are mobile vengeful spirits out to kill hunters. He tells her to get herself safe as he thinks she will be attacked next. No sooner do they hang up than Castiel appears, demanding Alex come with him. He claims she's in danger and she refuses his solicitations mistrustfully. He tells her he's her guardian angel, further confounding her. She sasses his every statement and essentially tells him to screw off and leave her alone, she can take care of herself. He seems mildly annoyed but disappears. That's when the spirit of Nancy shows up, a virginal girl who died a few months ago after the Winchesters were involved in a standoff at the police department where she worked. Her spirit blames Alex because the blood of a virgin was required to save them… and Alex did not volunteer. This is where it's revealed that at age twenty-five, Alex is still indeed a virgin and has never had a boyfriend (her mutism was a large contributor to the fact, as well as Dean's protective controlling personality and the life of the road). Alex baits Nancy's spirit and fights her off with a fire iron and salt from the kitchen but is badly wounded as she tries to get to the panic room downstairs. Almost dead, she manages to get into the panic room where Castiel appears again and says she should have listened to him about the danger. He crouches down with her and heals her, startling her with the show of power and compassion. His touch and closeness make her uncomfortable and when he offers to help her stand up, she lets him… then finds herself handcuffed into the panic room. He claims he is saving her life by trapping her in there and disappears, leaving behind an incensed Alex.

6: PANIC ROOM BLUES

Stuck in the panic room, Alex reflects on her life after trying desperately to get out of her restraints. She is worried that her brothers and Bobby will get hurt by the vengeful spirits that are out there waiting and she has no way of warning them. However the boys make it back safely to her and when they find out Castiel handcuffed her, they are pretty unhappy. Bobby says he thinks he has a way to kill the vengeful spirits who are inexplicably risen and on a murderous rampage… but they have to get to the fireplace in the study. While they fight their way there, Alex overhears the ghost of Meg berating Sam about Ruby, who is supposed to be dead. From the way Meg is talking, it sounds like Ruby is still alive and working with Sam. As soon as Bobby casts the spell to banish the spirits, Alex takes her twin outside and confronts him heatedly about Ruby. He claims he was working with her for some time to try and find a way to bring Dean back. Alex and Sam leave the conversation no better off than beforehand, in fact maybe even more mistrustful of each other than before. That night Castiel comes to Dean in a dream. Dean slams the angel for handcuffing his sister and Castiel insists he saved her life by making sure she wouldn't endanger herself outside of the panic room. He complains about her stubbornness and Dean thinks that's funny. He then questions the angel about what the 'rising of the witnesses' was and Castiel confirms that it is part of the Apocalypse. He says that a series of seals is being broken and when the final seal is broken, Lucifer will walk free.

7. ALONE WITH EVERYBODY

The Winchesters hit the road for the next town and discuss Lucifer, the Apocalypse, and what it all means. That night at the motel they stay in, Alex once again hears Sam sneaking out and she follows him and sees him getting into the car with the young woman who was with him a week or so ago when Dean first came back to life. Suspecting this is indeed Ruby, Alex returns to the motel room to tell Dean, who is there with Castiel and is shaken up from what he claims to have been time travel. Cas warns them that they have to 'stop Sam' or that the angels will. He gives them an address of where to find Sam and the siblings head that way. Dean explains Cas put him in the past to try and change the nursery fire but Dean had failed at that. Alex divulges what she knows about Ruby and Sam's involvement and Dean is upset she didn't tell him sooner. They find Sam and Ruby exorcising a demon… with Sam's mind. Dean and Alex attempt to kill Ruby but Sam stops them. Disgusted, they leave Sam. The next morning, Sam waits in the motel room for his missing brother and sister. Dean comes in and starts an argument, Alex follows shortly thereafter. Sam tries to justify his psychic dabblings but Dean especially will hear nothing of it. They get a call for help a few towns away and respond but Dean's constant passive-aggressive badgering of Sam prompts Sam to demand Dean pull the car over. On the side of the road a knock-down and drag-out verbal massacre takes place between the three siblings. The altercation leaves such a bad taste in Alex's mouth that she reacts by impulse and ditches her brothers a few hours later by stealing a motorcycle and just heading off to clear her mind.

8. ABANDON SHIP

On her own and holed up in a cabin in Nebraska, Alex has spent about a week out of contact with her siblings. She reflects how it's a shame her family has to be so broken and constantly at odds and she feels guilty for ditching them. She's studying the book of Revelation in her solitude and trying to find out more about the Apocalypse. Unknown to her, Castiel is watching over her with interest. He finds her fascinating and notices how she is now wearing a lock-pick around her neck—he supposes because of how he cuffed her a few weeks ago. He finds her pluckishness endearing. He reflects on how he has been given the task of being her watcher recently after her previous guardian, Nandriel, decided she would prefer to pursue her own interests and gains than watch Alex. Castiel takes his role in Alex's life very seriously, and despite the demands of the war, her safety is important to him. He's watched her since October of 2007, nearly a year now. That night Cas goes to Alex in a dream and tells her she needs to return to her brothers and tells her where to go, urging her to be quick. He says not to tell Uriel of this and disappears without explanation. Alex does what he says and when she tracks down her brothers' motel room, she finds Castiel and the angel Uriel there, waiting for her brothers to arrive. Uriel is rude to Alex and Cas becomes mildly defensive of her when he oversteps his bounds. Alex has a cold from traveling on motorcycle in the rain and Cas offers to heal her but Uriel condemns and stops him, saying 'no more unnecessary healings.' Cas sits beside Alex and stares at her chest, then asks her what a 'Metallica' is. Her t-shirt has the band logo across it on the chest and she laughs it off, realizing it wasn't what she thought. Her interest is growing in Castiel whether or not she likes it.

9. HAPPY FREAKIN' HALLOWEEN

Dean and Sam arrive to the motel room and Sam is relieved to see Alex—Dean is pissed. However for the moment their focus is what the angels want. Castiel and Uriel tell the Winchesters that the witch in town (which Dean and Sam have been hunting) poses too great a threat and they have to smite the entire town to eliminate the threat. The Winchesters are staggered and Alex is especially horrified that a 'guardian angel' could be on board for wiping out a town of innocents. Dean talks the angels into giving him more time to find the witch and after a tense standoff, the angels leave. Dean promptly turns on his sister and lays into her about running away. He storms out after some rude comments and the twins are left alone. Sam and Alex very falteringly have a heart to heart and he apologizes for a lot of things he's said and done recently and she does the same. Dean comes back in and shrugs off his macho-man behavior with the excuse of 'you know how I get' and a terse 'glad you're okay.' They head out to find the witch together. Meanwhile Castiel and Uriel are exchanging tense conversation. Uriel has no love of humanity and Castiel admonishes him repeatedly. Uriel warns Castiel about his compassion and care, especially for the girl. Meanwhile the Winchesters rush to stop Samhain and get separated briefly. Dean and Alex find Sam exorcising Samhain with his mind. He is struggling badly and having problems doing so, but he manages all the same. The next day, Uriel pops in on the twins and threatens Sam to stop using his psychic abilities 'or else.' Uriel reminds them that tomorrow is the anniversary of their mother's death and then drops the bombshell that Dean does remember Hell and has lied to them about having no recollection of his time there. Afterwards, Alex goes across the street to find Dean sitting on a park bench alone. They discuss whether or not Castiel is trustworthy. Unseen by them, Castiel is watching them and contemplating himself with growing apprehensiveness.

10. TILT-A-WHIRLED

Alex finds herself in a quiet fair setting on a foggy day and realizes she's dreaming and this place is a fond memory from childhood. She is just about to go to the bottle toss when she senses a new presence. Castiel has appeared within her dream and she is immediately guarded of him and curt. They discuss Uriel, Alex challenges Castiel's views and methods, she laments the screwed up situation of the Apocalypse and all the cryptic lack of answers Cas always gives. She accuses Cas of not believing what he says he believes and then he broaches the subject of how when she wakes up it will be November 2nd. Angry, she says she knows that and Uriel had already rubbed it in her face. Cas is startled and did not know Uriel visited herself and Sam. As the conversation continues, Alex wonders aloud why God could let so much crap happen to her family. From her mother to her father to Alex's lost voice, she is confused. She asks why no one ever did anything about her or helped her for so long, Cas becomes defensive and says something was done. Alex realizes he knows who or what gave her voice back and begs him to tell her who it was. He reveals that he was he one who restored her voice. After watching her for a couple months he was unable not to give her the healing that was within his power to give. Alex is stunned and sees Castiel in entirely new light, thanks him repeatedly, asks why he hadn't told her this yet. He reveals that he was punished for it and thought it best not to tell her. Cas tries to turn the conversation away from that and asks her about the carnival rides. Alex asks why he doesn't know so much if he's been around since the dawn of time. He reflects that he is seeing things through new eyes now and he finds humanity and the world utterly fascinating. Somber because she is thinking of the Apocalypse, Alex confesses suddenly that she can't lose her brothers to this Apocalypse. Castiel looks at her sadly and says she should prepare herself for that possibility. He touches her forehead and tells her it's time to wake up. Later that day at dinner, Alex tells her brothers in a very out-of-the-blue way that Cas is the one who gave her her voice back. They don't know what to make of it. Later in the meal they confront Dean about Hell and Dean continues to lie about it and say he has no memory. They get wind of a new job and leave with no resolution made.

11. DAY IN THE LIFE

One week later the Winchesters have found a girl named Anna who is being hunted by demons and angels alike. After teaming up with Ruby, Alex is furious at the arrangement and there is a confrontation between herself and the demon. They discover Anna is a fallen angel and try to go find her fallen grace so she can protect herself against further attacks. The mission fails and they squat at an abandoned barn and try to decide what to do. Castiel and Uriel are in pursuit and Anna is endangering them all, then the angels put out a message on angel radio saying that if they don't turn Anna over, Dean will be cast into Hell. Panicking at the idea of losing her brother again, Alex loses her cool and says they should just kill Anna so no one gets her. Dean is angry at her for suggesting that and she storms out and goes to the woodline where she cries remembering Dean's death day. He comes out there and they talk and come to a tense understanding. Anna and Alex talk afterward and Alex struggles not to like the girl. The Winchesters decide to pit the angels and demons against one another by alerting the angels to their whereabouts and letting Ruby bait the demons to the location at the same time. The showdown which occurs injures Alex badly and as Anna steals her grace back from Uriel, Castiel heals Alex against orders, resulting in an intimate-feeling moment. He disappears then without a second glance, leaving her wondering. Shortly after the Winchesters stop at the side of the road and Dean confesses about his memories of Hell.

12: AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL

Over a month later the Winchesters haven't heard from angels in awhile. It's Christmas time and all the angel stuff due to the holiday is making Alex feel odd. She kept an angel hex bag that Ruby made secretly, and is keeping it near her family at all times to safeguard against more angels. After the kill-Anna thing, she isn't sure what to make of Cas. Some time later the family is working a case at a school they attended in the past. Alex refuses to go to the high school. She probably disliked school the most out of all the Winchesters because she was always picked on and in trouble. Several flashbacks reveal life back in '97 and show how Sam was trying to distance himself from his family even then. In present day, Ruby comes to Sam and plays on that insecurity, saying she will be glad when he realizes she's the one who is most loyal to him and cares the most about him.

13: KING OF HELL

A week later, the Winchesters have just returned from Pamela's funeral and are confronted by Uriel and Castiel. The angels demand that Dean come with them and help them get answers from Alastair, who they've captured but not managed to break. They think he is behind angel deaths that have begun to occur. Castiel is markedly quiet and not as 'in charge' as Uriel, who apparently got his brother angel into trouble. The angels take Dean and Alex without warning to where Alastair is. It's revealed that Alex is leverage over Dean and Uriel says her heavenly protection orders have been annulled and that Castiel will torture her if Dean does not comply. Dean complies, leaving Cas and Alex to listen nearby. She is furious with him and challenges him and his ideas on free will and his hypocrisies. Even though Castiel insists he will do what 'is required' of him and that his job is an angel, it becomes increasingly hard to believe he's telling the truth. When Dean gets injured by Alastair and sent to the hospital after the ensuing attack, Alex blames Cas for it and hits the angel, basically telling him to screw off and never come back. Castiel is troubled and seeks Uriel for counsel concerning his feelings that something is wrong in Heaven. Uriel corrects and challenges Castiel and disdainfully leaves his brother alone. Anna appears later and Castiel confesses he is having trouble knowing what to do and how to feel. He asks for instruction on what to do but she insists he choose himself. Cas returns to Dean and Alex, who are in the hospital, sister at brother's side. He apologizes and then disappears.

14: IT'S A TERRIBLE LIFE

Dean and Alex are still in the hospital some days later and Sam is off on his own, supposedly doing a hunt with Bobby. Alex shares with Dean how she saw Sam exorcising Alastair and having no problem doing so. They worry together. Three weeks later, Alex wakes up believing she's Alex Remington—a new receptionist at Sandover Bridge and Iron company. It's there she meets Sam Wesson and Dean Smith as they witness a grisly set of murders and ghost-encounters. The office manager, a grumpy-looking man name Mr. Collins who always wears a trench coat, catches Alex's eye. When he reveals to her and Sam who he is and what is really going on; when he restores their memories, they are both angry. Castiel confronts Alex, standing up to her for the first time after she attempts to yell at him. Later, when the siblings are reunited after their time of being brainwashed into thinking they were other people, Alex tells her brothers that it was Castiel who gave her her voice back. They're suspicious and confused but can't figure out why he would do that. Later, Alex calls Cas to the outside of the motel where she is and apologizes for her outbursts and treatment of him. He tells her he's discovered that Uriel was lying—he is still her protector. They share a small moment as they sit on a curb together, and Alex gets flustered and goes inside; intimidated by his intense gaze. He waits until she's inside until he disappears.

15: METAFICTION

The Winchesters have found something very strange: a series of books that describe their life and hunts in complete, total detail. They seek out the author and find a man named Chuck who is very flabbergasted indeed to discover the people he thought were mere characters are in fact real. He is dazed, confused, decides he must be a god, and sends them on their way with a transcript he's written of what will happen to them the next day or so. It's eerily correct and begins to fulfill itself in front of their eyes. Alex hides a couple pages of the manuscript after finding some descriptions of her thoughts, which are constantly wandering to an angel named Castiel now.

16: THE BECOMING

The chapter opens with the funeral of Adam Milligan—the half brother the Winchesters never knew. Alex is drunk and upset with her father mostly. She wanders off into the woods with her flask, ragingly trashed. Castiel appears, concerned for her well-being and confused at her drunken state. After he helps Sam and Dean and they get her into the car after she's passed out, he disappears without warning. That same night, a few hours later, Cas comes to Dean in a dream and says it's urgent; gives him an address and says to come fast. They find Jimmy Novak and a destroyed warehouse at this address, opening a whole new conundrum. Jimmy's backstory is revealed as the chapter progresses, and when he escapes the Winchester's watchful eye and returns to his family, demons manage to capture his wife and daughter. When Jimmy, aided by the Winchesters, tries to help them, Castiel takes him for good this time to save their lives. Cas is different when he returns to Jimmy's body. He's insists he is not a servant of man. He is cold to Alex, who is left disillusioned because they had just been entering the waters of friendship.

17: TWO ROADS DIVERGED

Dean and Alex found out about Sam's current demon blood addiction in the previous chapter during the warehouse confrontation and lock him into the panic room so he can detox. The siblings argue over the right way to help Sam—Dean wants to have Sam go cold turkey, Alex is worried that cold turkey will kill him and thinks he needs to be weaned off. Castiel is sent to let Sam out of the panic room. Even though he doesn't want to, he does, trying so hard to trust Heaven and his commanders. Dean and Alex track their missing brother down in two days and Dean tells Alex to stay in the car because he's afraid of what he'll find in the hotel Sam is in. When Alex sees Ruby exiting out the back of the hotel, she gives chase and the girls fight. Ruby gets away and Alex rushes to find her brothers. What she finds is Dean on the ground and Sam high on fury and demon blood, choking Dean to death. She attacks Sam, who turns around and attacks her brutally. When she is on the ground, Sam realizes what he's done. Dean says if Sam walks out the door, he is never welcome to come back. Sam leaves. Watching silently, having to be held back by Zachariah, Castiel is upset and horrified he's not being allowed to interfere. The next day, Dean and Alex are taken to the beautiful room for safekeeping as the events which will lead up to the Apocalypse will unfold. The siblings are separated and Alex, given a few moments with Cas, begs him to do the right thing, scolding him because she believes he knows better. He heals her injuries which Sam inflicted and disappears, leaving her wondering. Later, when Dean and Alex have been reunited in the main beautiful room, Castiel appears and breaks them out of there and spirits them to Chuck's house even as an archangel bears down on them. He tells them that the demon Lilith cannot be killed because she is the final seal. Sam thinks if he kills her, he will stop the devil from appearing. However, if he kills her, he guarantees Lucifer will rise.

18: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL

Cas died sacrificially to give Dean and Alex a chance to stop Sam from breaking the final seal. Unfortunately, the seal is broken and Lucifer rises. The next day the Winchesters find themselves in a surprisingly calm, unchanged world. Alex mourns Cas and deals with conflicted feelings about who he was and why she is so upset about his death. Later, Bobby arrives to the motel where they're staying and chews Sam out in a brutal exchange that leaves Sam limping away to a nearby church to do research. Alex goes with him and the twins have a heart-to-heart. Later, Becky Rosen appears with a message about "Michael's sword" and its location. It's at that time that Dean is attacked by the demon Meg, who injures Bobby badly. After rushing Bobby to the hospital, the Winchesters double-time it to a storage locker where the Michael sword is supposed to be. It's there that the angel Zachariah appears and tries to force Dean to become Michael's vessel so that the Apocalypse can unfold without issue. Dean refuses even when Zachariah harms his siblings. It's at this time that Cas reappears and kills two angels then demands Zachariah heal the Winchesters and leave. Zachariah does as he's told. Cas claims he was brought back by God, puts angel-hiding sigils on the siblings ribs, then disappears. Later at the hospital, Bobby has been paralyzed and Castiel appears again and says he can't heal Bobby. He's been cut off from Heaven and says he is now going to find God then gives an angry speech to an entitled Dean. Alex calls Castiel on his BS and storms away. Later that night, Castiel finds her on the hospital rooftop and the two share a small moment where she apologizes for her comments and he apologizes as well. Their friendship is growing at this point and they both know it.

19: DADDY ISSUES

It's a few weeks later and Alex and Dean are no longer with Sam. He feared his issues would affect the family so he left. Tensions are high between the siblings because of this and they're arguing. When Alex is in the shower, Cas appears to Dean and says his search for God is not going so well. After Alex screams about a spider in the shower and Cas rescues her by smashing it, the trio heads out on a lead about an archangel. Dean insists Cas ride with them instead of 'zapping' them to the location. On the way, Alex ends up driving because Dean is in need of a nap. She and Cas share conversation and when she stops to get gas and snacks and subsequently drops a cupcake onto Dean's leather seat, she swears Cas to secrecy via pinky promise, joking with him that it's the most severe vow in the world. Later as they're squatting in an abandoned house, Cas basically says he thinks they are going to die the next day facing the archangel. Dean decides that Cas, who is a virgin, should lose his v-card. Alex is extremely disgruntled about this. Dean takes Cas to a strip club and Alex goes along and is upset the entire time. Cas questions Dean why he doesn't want Alex to lose her virginity as well and Dean shows his hypocritical side. Cas's attraction to Alex is beginning to show in this chapter and after the strip club debacle, Dean and Alex have a very awkward, painful conversation where she admits her shame about being a virgin at her age. She bemoans herself and tells him he shouldn't worry and that she'll end up an old spinster. Cas and Alex have a conversation outside later and the tension between them and attraction is becoming more and more pronounced. However, Alex flees the scene after he talks more about himself probably dying the next day.

20: ABOVE US ONLY SKY

Dean and Alex have been on the road for sixteen hours plus, without Cas, and they're both exhausted. They pull into a motel late at night in Kansas City, and crash. The next morning, they wake up to a desolate, war-ravaged scene and the word "CROATOAN" spray painted all over buildings as a warning. It's a virus that's infecting people and turning them into violent, zombie-like undead—the year is 2014, five years into the current future. They flee the scene, stealing a car since the Impala has disappeared. There are no people, only destruction. Zachariah pops up into the back seat and tells them in so many words that he's giving them a preview of the future, if they don't stop Sam and keep Lucifer from rising and if Dean refuses to be Michael's vessel. They go to Bobby's house, which is abandoned but they find a lead and make their way to a camp, where future!Dean captures himself and Alex, and ties them up, demanding answers as to who they are and what's going on. They find out that future!Alex has died, and that Sam is "gone." Brother and sister wait until they're alone and then escape, with Dean insisting Alex stays put since her being sighted around camp might be troubling since she's dead in this future. She doesn't stay put long, and finds Dean talking with future!Cas, who doesn't look like himself at all. When he sees her, he looks stricken, like he's seen a ghost, and his behavior is odd. When Dean goes to the bathroom, Alex tries to find out how she died—Cas will not say. He's stoned, unkempt, and not an angel anymore. He's womanizing, on drugs, and clearly not doing well. Alex notices her whistle and her dad's ring on a chain on his neck and is shocked, demanding to know why he has her things. He says she gave them to him, again being very odd and reserved. He also has a drawer of her clothes—and when Alex asks why, he offers the weak excuse that they were roommates. Alex only sees one bed. He gets more and more upset. Later, the group of freedom fighters at the camp are planning a strike on a city because Lucifer and the Colt were supposed to be there, where they could end his reign of terror. Dean and Alex go along, but not before Alex stumbles upon her own gravestone in the campground. Chuck, who happens to be nearby, says Cas is the one who regularly leaves flowers on the headstone. Alex is very aware that in this future, Cas and her had a relationship, and she's interested, shocked, and afraid all at once. Before the group heads out to battle, Cas asks her for a kiss—and Alex agrees. A deeply passionate, thrilling kiss happens—her first kiss, and Cas's last. He then tells her how she died—she was infected with the virus, and made him shoot her. Later on the ground in the city, Dean and Alex see Lucifer in Sam's body, and he smiles chillingly, saying no matter what choices that are made, they will always arrive her—to Lucifer, the Croatoan virus, and the end of the world. Just like that, Alex and Dean are back in 2009—Dean decides to call Sam. Cas shows up, and Alex feels embarrassed and attracted. She cannot forget the kiss. Back in 2014, Castiel lays dying. He is remembering killing his beloved Alex, who was secretly pregnant with their child.

21: TORE ME DOWN

Dean and Alex await Sam, who has agreed to meet them. Alex is dealing with a lot of heavy thoughts of a dark future, a lost brother, and Cas—she's beginning to have feelings and urges she instinctively wants to resist having at all. But she can't stop thinking about the kiss, the way Cas looked at her, the things he said and how he clearly felt in that future version of himself. Sam shows up and the three siblings manage a cordial, heartfelt (if brief) reconciliation. Dean says they'll make a different future, together. But all three of them are doubtful. That night, when Alex is asleep, the brothers have a very serious conversation about Lucifer, where Dean is very aggressively telling Sam in no uncertain terms that he CANNOT lie to them anymore, that Dean suspects a darkness in Sam, that the demon's blood from Azazel is inside of him and no one can undo it. The brothers begin to argue, with Dean's resentments about Sam's continued abandonment of the family unit coming to the surface. The scene ends with Dean doubting if he's made the right choice to let Sam back in, and Sam angry and hurt. The next day, Alex blows up at Dean with hopelessness, feeling like they don't stand a chance against all the huge players and challenges that are coming up. She says how afraid she is, and how the family is not doing well—how will they defeat anyone if they're so torn up as a family unit? The next thing you know, Alex is waking up, but she isn't sure to what. She's in some kind of suburban house, with children everywhere and some strange version of Castiel who isn't Castiel at all. As the strange scene unfolds, Alex begins to think this is the work of a trickster, or another one of Zachariah's jerk moves. It becomes apparent that this is the trickster, and he's trying to get Alex to have her brothers say "yes" to becoming vessels so that the grand storyline can play out. He draws comparisons between himself and Alex as the siblings who are in the middle, and the "weaker" ones. The scene changes after he tells her chillingly to "survive," and she's in a dirty warehouse, seeing visions of herself being rejected and abandoned throughout childhood, made fun of for her mute condition. She sees her father and Bobby arguing and John is complaining about how difficult life with this disabled child is, and that she'd be safer in foster care. Alex is rapidly deteriorating mentally as she sees such hurtful and shocking moments. Her "father" then appears to her, and taunts her, hurts her, and bullies her. Defending herself, realizing this isn't her dad, she fights him off while sustaining bad injuries herself. The nightmare twists and turns, and Cas finally reaches and rescues her from it. They're trapped in this strange reality the Trickster has created, and only get out once Dean and Sam have summoned and trapped Trickster in a ring of holy oil fire. His identity of Gabriel, the Archangel, is revealed. Cas spirits Alex to a hospital. He can't heal her because he's been cut off from Heaven. He stays with her overnight.

22: THIS OUR MORTAL LIFE

The next morning, Alex wakes up to Castiel in her hospital room—he stayed the night to watch over her. The two share a poignant moment before Dean wakes up and demands to talk to Cas alone. Once they're in a hallway, Dean demands to know if Cas has a "thing" for his sister—in 2014, he came to believe that Cas got Alex killed, and is against the idea of anyone with his sister, let alone Castiel. He then berates Cas for failing to protect Alex yesterday from the Trickster. Later that day, Cas brings Alex flowers, as he's noticed many other hospital patients have them. His choice? Yellow flowers. This triggers Alex, as future!Cas left yellow flowers on her gravestone. She reacts oddly, and Cas is confused, thinking he did the wrong thing. The brothers come back from a food run, and the Winchesters leave the hospital, as Alex is stable now. Later that day, Alex confronts Sam and Dean about the things Trickster showed her. Flash forward to a month later—the boys are attempting to steal the Colt from a demon named Crowley. Alex is with Ellen and Bobby, biding her time. Cas shows up out of the blue, to let her know Dean and Sam have succeeded in getting the Colt—the weapon that can supposedly kill the devil. Ellen and Cas meet. Cas and Alex have a moment, in which she gives him a shot of whiskey. He feels nothing. They talk about Heaven and how each person has their own little world in Heaven, and Cas tells her about shared Heavens—some soulmates share these. It's rare. Dean, Sam, and Jo arrive back after some time, and everyone spends the night in good company drinking, talking, and relating. Alex retreats to the panic room at one point due to feeling flustered by her attraction to Cas. He follows her, and they end up confessing their feelings to each other—then he says, "we can't." He says it's too dangerous, even though he clearly struggles with that fact. Even as they argue about this, they grow closer, and end up sharing a passionate kiss—afterward, Cas is overtaken by guilt and insists it wasn't right—when Alex is emotionally hurt by this, he does what he thinks is right, and to take away the pain, he erases her memory of what just happened. The next day, everyone is in a car on the way to Carthage, the town where Lucifer is supposed to be. Cas sees Reapers everywhere, which no one else can, and he spirits himself into where he can sense Lucifer's presence. He finds himself trapped in a ring of holy fire, with Lucifer there. Lucifer attempts to cajole Castiel into joining forces, pointing out how they are similar: both rebelled against Heaven, pursued their own path, and were cast out. Castiel refuses. And then Lucifer brings Alex into the room, using her as leverage against Cas. He refuses, and Lucifer says to take his time deciding. Later when Meg appears, she taunts Alex, then Cas uses Meg to escape from the fire, and he frees Alex and spirits her away to safety. Once back with the brothers, they have bad news: the Colt didn't work. Lucifer is still alive, and he's managed to summon Death—one of the four Horsemen. The Apocalypse is looking inevitable. Later that night, Alex takes a walk by herself out by Bobby's—and runs into Crowley, He tells her that he wants Lucifer gone, too… then reveals to her he's heard SHE will kill Lucifer.

23: BE ALL MY SINS REMEMBERED

The chapter opens with Castiel in a winter scene—it's two days later. He's confused, regretful, and reflective. He thinks about how he's been watching over Alex since 2007, and how this new path has led to nothing but questions. He's also disturbed by how Lucifer was able to summon Alex. He goes to see her after a bit, and finds she is not with her brothers—she avoids anything to do with mental health, and her brothers are undercover at a mental hospital currently. Cas is concerned that she's alone. He feels even more guilt over hiding the kiss from her, then abruptly leaves. A week later, Alex is shaken awake by Dean, who is urgently insisting she get up, that Anna came to him in a dream, and they have to go meet her. She's worried it's a trap, and Sam calls Cas for help. Cas says he will go to Anna and discover her intentions. Once there, the two angels have an intense discussion about fate. Anna insists that Sam must die, to prevent the devil from unleashing the Apocalypse. Anna then shows Cas the future in 2014, attempting to sway him since what happens to Alex is so awful. He sees many scenes of them as their relationship grows, and then her dying. He even sees what present day Alex experienced with 2014!Cas in the future—the kiss against the truck. After showing him all this, Anna insists he will be doing the right thing by killing Sam to keep this future from happening. Cas is troubled, confused, but stubbornly refuses to listen to Anna. He leaves, returning to the Winchesters.

24: HONEYMOON'S OVER

Cas reports back to the Winchesters honestly, relaying how Anna wants to kill Sam. Alex notices how shaken up Cas seems, how unlike himself. Cas begins a ritual to find Anna, so that they can nip this problem in the bud. Strangely, she has gone into the past—1978—and Castiel immediately realizes it's to attempt to kill the parents of the Winchesters to stop Sam from being born. Cas says he will go back to stop her, but it won't be easy since he's cut off from Heaven. The Winchesters insist on going with him. Cas warns them that he will not be himself when they first arrive, and will need to rest from the efforts time travel creates. As soon as they arrive in 1978, Cas collapses—Alex stays with him to keep him safe in a motel as the brothers attempt to hunt down Anna. As she stays with an unconscious Cas and cares for him, her feelings and confusion grow. When Cas comes to a few hours later, the two have a conversation including thoughts on Cas's "missing father" God and there are parallels drawn between Alex's dad who had disappeared a couple years ago, too. The Angel and hunter's connection grows deeper. Alex shows him how to play cards. At a certain point, Alex isn't content to stay, and needs to leave to search out her brothers. Cas gives her his Angels' sword as defense—leaving himself totally vulnerable.

25: MEET THE PARENTS

The Archangel Michael (using a young John Winchester as a vessel) appears and saves Sam/Dean/Mary from Anna, then zaps them back to present day… without Alex. The brothers begin to freak out. Meanwhile, back in 1978, Cas is very weakened and barely able to stand. Alex has returned alone and is worried about her brothers. Cas says first thing in the morning, they'll look. Alex falls asleep in bed beside him. The next day, a still-drained Cas needs help walking. Together, they go to the Winchester house and meet Mary, which is a strange and bittersweet moment for Alex, who has no memories of her mom, who died when she was an infant. They claim they're Mary's neighbors. When John comes home, he is suspicious of them and not nearly as friendly as Mary. A comical and awkward scene unfolds. However once Mary has Alex alone, her friendly demeanor drops and she demands to know who she is—she says Alex has hunter written all over her. They have a scuffle, and Alex tells Mary she's her daughter. Just then, Cas knocks Mary unconscious with a simple touch. He erases John's memories of what happened, and knocks him unconscious too—saying he wanted to keep the timeline uncomplicated. Cas safely transports them back to 2010 and to the brothers, who are incredibly glad to have their sister back. That night, Alex looks through Dad's journal, trying to find a connection to her dad who she had such a troubled, tense relationship with.

26: INSATIABLE

Three days later in Kansas, it's Valentine's Day. The Winchesters are disguised as FBI. Cas has been absent. Alex is truly anxious in his absence for the first time. The current job is priority one, though: a couple had eaten each other, another couple had shot and killed each other, both on the same night. Something was up. Posing as FBI allows them into the morgue, where they find that the victims have strange markings on their hearts. Dean gets a phonecall from Cas, who then appears suddenly. He says the markings on the hearts look Enochian. He says the markings are for those who are intended to mate. That a rogue cupid is likely behind this. To catch him, they decide to go somewhere he's likely to be: somewhere many couples will be. As it's V-Day, a romantic restaurant does the trick. The unlikely foursome get a table there and bide their time with food and drink, waiting for any sign of a cupid. Alex is feeling intensely attracted to Cas, more than normal, and he's feeling the same. They don't realize it yet, but they've both been affected by the cupid's mark too. Suddenly, Cas senses what they're waiting for and they go to the back of the restaurant where he summons the cupid—who is a chubby white guy, totally naked and very into giving fullbody hugs. When they confront cupid with the fact that his marked targets are slaughtering each other, the cupid clearly is surprised. He cries. Cas reads his mind, and finds that he's telling the truth that he didn't know this was happening. Dean storms off after the cupid reveals that Mary and John Winchester were "set up" by Heaven, since the Winchester children were destined to be born. At the hotel they're staying at, Cas and Dean have a confrontation. Dean is beginning to notice the dynamic between his sister and the angel, and he's angry about it. He knows it's dangerous, feels like it's not normal, and is fiercely protective over his sister. Cas persuades Dean that it's an unfounded fear. He's Alex's guardian, and that future in 2014 only happens if he's human. Dean is sated, for now. The next day, Cas explains that the town is not overrun by a love-gone-wrong effect, but is suffering from hunger. Starvation. Famine… one of the horsemen. And Alex is totally lost to the effect. She almost attacks Cas in a restaurant kitchen, insisting that she needs him, and he can't resist either. They have the most destructive make-out session ever, trashing the kitchen completely in their moment of wanton passion. It's hot yes, but Castiel is powerful and hurting Alex, but she wants it—it's the effect of Famine. They would kill each other if they kept going, but suddenly Sam comes upon them.

27: IT'S COMPLICATED

Sam is shocked to see the situation in front of him. Cas has a bloody lip, Alex has bruises and cuts—it's an awkward and disturbing moment for everyone. Sam managed to break the Famine spell over the town… and Cas realizes it's because Sam has had demon blood. Alex's injuries are settling over her, and she's looking bad. She lies to Dean about demons attacking them. When Dean realizes Sam consumed demon blood, he knocks him unconscious with a bat and demands Cas take them to Bobby's ASAP. Dean immediately throws Sam into the panic room, then patches his sister up. She has to have stitches, a shoulder reset, and lots of bandaids. Cas is riddled with guilt. Sam begins to detox painfully. It's a tough time for the family. When Cas and Alex have a moment alone, she asks what happened between them and Cas lies, saying it was his vessel and Famine's effect, nothing else. Alex becomes angry, disbelieving all his excuses and lies. She demands he leaves, because she's wounded and angry. Alex walks off into the night, up and down Bobby's road, raging and crying. Cas reappears, apologetic. And then admits that he lied, and he did indeed want to kiss her. He insists he's just trying to keep her safe from himself, and tells her how he saw 2014 and how she died because of him. He then tells her he's taken something from her, and he's giving it back. He restores her memory of their kiss the night of Carthage, and even though Alex is shocked and a little angry at him, she's moreso overcome with the truth of what happened. They have the same conversation as before, of "we can't,"—but Alex asks Cas is that's what he really WANTS. His honest answer is no, and they kiss again. Gentler, sweeter, slower this time. And then Crowley appears. This is Cas and Crowley's first time meeting. He taunts them a bit, even demonstrating that he knows about the 2014 awaiting them. He says how they're falling right into place for this future to happen. Cas threatens him and Crowley leaves, smirking the whole way. Cas takes her back to Bobby's, then disappears. Two days later, Alex is drunk and unhappy with life in general. Sam is withdrawing still, and Dean is being standoffish and depressed. Crowley returns to see her the second she's outside of the safety of Bobby's house—he asks her what she thinks about killing Lucifer, and how lore says a pure soul can destroy evil from the inside. He plants ideas in her mind about how she might have a better chance than either brother, then he disappears.

28: BULLETS IN THE GUN

The chapter is a huge flashback from four years ago—showing the fucked up dynamic between John Winchester and his children. It's revealed that he's been physically abusive towards his children in some moments, and definitely emotionally abusive. He loves his children, but his obsession with revenge played a huge part in destroying his life and relationships with his kids. We get a glimpse into his tortured psyche, and the day he died. Present day: Cas won't respond to Alex's calls, and it's been about a month. She's angry about it, after first being worried. While she's in the bathroom of their latest motel, she hears someone come in and shoot her brothers—she bursts out, attempting to attack the hunters who have come in and murdered Sam and Dean, but she's shot too, even though she kills one of them. She's laying dying on the floor when Cas comes to her side—immediately killing her attacker—but then is helpless to save her as she bleeds out on the floor of the motel. Cas begs for God's help, but there is no reply. Alex regains clarity, but is no longer on earth, and she is faced with a person she hasn't seen in years: John Winchester.

29: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Dean comes to, in a memory from years ago. He assumes it's a dream. Sammy is young, just thirteen or so—and excitedly begging Dean to come shoot off fireworks with him. Silent Alex is there too. This is a beautiful memory for Dean, one of the moments of their childhood that was normal and unscarred by the supernatural. Dean feels something he hasn't felt in awhile: pure happiness and peace. Then, suddenly, everything disappears and he's in the Impala, on a strange road. Cas comes through on the radio and communicates to him from the real world, letting him know what's happened. It's not a dream Dean is in, he's dead—and his brother and sister are dead, too. Cas says to follow the road, and he'll find Sam. Cas says Alex is "drifting" and he can't locate her with the spell he's been trying. Apparently, she doesn't have a Heaven. This is extremely not normal. Meanwhile, Alex and her father are face to face again. She's in a phonebooth, holding the phone, and he tells her not to hang up, he can't call back. He tells her she's dead. He knows, because he made a deal to talk to her when she died. She then remembers dying on a motel floor. Alex tests this apparition, asking questions only John would know the answer to. It's him. He seems different though, like he's had time to reflect and think. He apologizes to her and they have a heart to heart, that's both tense and angry, and beautiful and heartfelt. Before he gets cut off, he warns Alex with growing urgency but gets cut short: something about Azazel planning to use her and Sam for… *something*. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam have reunited and they contact Cas again through the radio/TV. Cas tells them to find Joshua, who will help them find Alex. The rumor is, this angel talks to God. Switch over to Alex, who has been dropped into a Heaven by Zachariah—she's trapped there, and when he taunts her, he mutes her too. He then spirits her over to Sam and Dean and attempts to use her as leverage, threatening to hurt her badly. And then Joshua appears, and insists that God, the big boss, is telling Zachariah to stop. Joshua then sends Alex back to Earth, keeping the brothers to speak with them further. Cas is there when Alex comes back to life, and their reunion is emotional. He comforts her as she has a bit of a breakdown from what just happened. They kiss, then she panics further, begging him not to leave. He promises not to leave ever again before saying goodbye. They then stay close to each other, waiting for Sam and Dean to resurrect, and Alex tells Cas about everything that happened.

30: THE RIGHTEOUS MAN

Back in Heaven, the brothers are with Joshua in Heaven's garden. They demand to know the following things: why Alex doesn't have a Heaven, and where God's location is so they can speak to him. Joshua doesn't really have any answers, only saying God is on earth somewhere, and he doesn't know what he's doing there. God has a message for them, though: to back off. He knows everything they want to tell him and the help they want to get, and he won't be involving himself. Joshua then sends the angry, confused Winchester brothers back to earth, where they come back to life from where they'd been shot dead. There, Cas and Alex have been waiting for them. Once they've discussed what's transpired, Cas disappearing, his last words being, "I'm going to find out why Alex has no Heaven." Dean, who is noticing the shifting dynamic between the angel and his sister, demands to know what's going on and they have a pretty big fight about it. Sam, who was more on Alex's side, has a heart-to-heart with his sister and is much more empathetic in the way he addresses Alex than Dean was. Meanwhile, Castiel summons Crowley and demands to know why Alex has no Heaven. He roughs Crowley up a bit, asking if she's destined for Hell. Crowley acts like he doesn't know. Cas tells him to find out if her name is written in the Book of Hell, or he'll destroy his vessel. Crowley walks away from the interaction smugly, realizing he has leverage over the angel. That leverage is named Alex Winchester. Back at the Winchester's location, Dean comes back from a bar. He's emotionally not doing well at all. He and Alex hug tight. Just then, his phone buzzes. Bobby tells them to get over to Blue Earth ASAP, as demonic activity is off the charts. Meanwhile, Cas is feeling badly too. God is nowhere to be found, he can't seem to keep Alex safe. He comes across a liquor store and contemplates drinking the whole thing.

31: CLOSER TO GOD

As they approach Blue Earth, Minnesota, the Winchester encounter a demon attack that almost gets them in bad trouble. They're saved by a group of three townspeople with a firetruck full of high-powered water, and an incantation yelled over a loudspeaker. The demons exorcise, and the group of people who saved the Winchesters introduce themselves as the Sacrament Lutheran Militia who are fighting against the Apocalypse. They caravan into town, which is full of people armed to the teeth and Devil's Traps painted on every available surface. Flash over to Castiel—it's the next morning, and he drank the whole liquor store. Shelf after shelf. He sees on his cellphone, the one he uses to contact the Winchesters, Alex texted him. He texts her, badly, because he's still quite drunk. Alex receives them and although they're comical, she's worried. He says he drank fifty shelves of hard liquor. She excuses herself and calls him, pestering him for answers and if he's okay. He sounds incredibly drunk, and she begs him to come see her. He says he's too "incapasassacitated" but he'll come when he can stand. Alex returns to trying to help her brothers figure out how to get this town safe again. Tensions are high between the siblings, but they muster through as usual. A woman in town receives visions of where the demons have been meeting up—the Winchesters and the Militia follow up a lead a few miles away and find a hovel of demons, just like they were told. The exorcism, which seems to be Enochian, clears the demonic possessions. That afternoon, the siblings have another fight about the current situation in the world, the oncoming Apocalypse, etc—it's mostly the twins again Dean, who leaves them in a huff. Sam and Alex set to work researching the current situation and Alex nurses a bottle of whiskey, trying to deal with her feelings with alcohol. About an hour later, Cas shows up. He's still pretty drunk, but able to stand now. He seems to have some answers about the town, and even says he knows that the woman with visions is a false prophet. He says he needs a specific book to know how to proceed. Without much warning, he spirits himself and Alex to the Vatican in Rome, Italy. They're both affected by alcohol, Cas moreso that Alex. It's the middle of the night or very early morning here. The two of them wander the silent library, with Cas essentially hitting on Alex and admiring her verbally. They're both a little more vulnerable than usual, and their attraction is hard to avoid as they go deeper into the library. As one thing leads to another, they begin to kiss, then touch, and eventually they end up having very passionate and loving, first time sex against a bookshelf, halfway undressed.

32: DEADLY SINS

Afterward, Cas is very quickly overcome with indoctrinated guilt and horror at his actions, and his sudden odd behavior makes Alex think she took advantage of him somehow. After an awkward and sad moment where Cas calls what they did wrong, he grabs the book they sought, then spirits them back to Blue Earth to an unsuspecting Sam. And then Castiel disappears completely. Alex runs out of the hotel room distraught, crying. Cas reappears, and they have a heart to heart. Castiel is guilty because he is thousands of years old, not a human; he says Alex's first experience shouldn't have been with him, etc etc. She doesn't agree. They are interupted by gunfire—a townsperson has killed another townsperson, angry that her loved one has been killed in the crossfire of the oncoming Apocalypse. In the heat of the moment, there is a struggle over the gun, and Cas blocks Alex from being shot with his own body—he spirits himself and Alex away for her protection, but he's not doing good. Alex unfortunately knows how to deal with bullet wounds, but is really upset by this turn of events. She's falling completely in love with him at this point. The brothers reappear soon, having taken care of the townperson who was causing problems. Cas says this false prophet Leah is turning people against each other and must be stopped. Then, after reading the book he procured, he realizes she is "The Whore" from prophecies and must be killed. She can only be killed by a Servant of Heaven—but apparently this person must have a pure soul and be a virgin. Cas and Alex know that she's no longer in that club. They settle on the town Pastor being the one who will kill her and they have to work hard to convince him. Before they leave to go to get the job done, Cas and Alex share a private moment outside of reconciliation and they kiss… and Dean sees it.

33: MR. SELF DESTRUCT

The chapter opens with Dean being shocked, upset, and enraged at what he's seeing. In the future version of 2014 that he saw, Cas got Alex killed and they were involved—that with the fact that this angel is old as hell pisses him off completely. He barrels over and grabs Alex, telling her to get in the damn car and they're leaving. Cas and Dean almost have a physical fight, then Cas takes Alex with a "we'll meet you there." They arrive to the perimeter of where The Whore is, and wait for the brothers, sharing a tender yet uncertain moment at the same time. The brothers and Pastor arrive, and they move in. Even as they move in, Alex and Dean fight, and it's extremely hurtful—Alex says he's "just like Dad," and then leaves his side. There is a confrontation with The Whore, and the Pastor dies without killing her. Dean ends up killing her somehow instead—Alex gets knocked out. As they go back to their motel, Sam worries that Dean is going to become Michael's vessel because of his erratic behavior and comments. They have a fight too, and Dean accuses Sam of a variety of things, says he doesn't have faith in him anymore, then punches him in the face and takes the car, going who knows where.

34: YOU SEE ME

Alex wakes up and her angel is beside her. Sam is nearby too and Alex is quickly shocked and dismayed by his appearance caused by Dean's attack. Spirits are not good, thanks to the quickly crumbling circumstances. Everyone is pretty sure Dean is going to say yes to Michael. Cas has been weakened by The Whore's magic, and cannot zap them anywhere, but that won't stop them. Sam and Alex steal a pickup truck and head down the road. They think Dean may go see Lisa, an old flame of his who he really actually loved. About an hour into the journey, the truck breaks down. Cas can't walk at this point, so Sam walks back to a gas station leaving Alex and Cas to wait. The two share a meaningful moment, where they talk about what's going on with the world, with them, and with their future. Cas struggles with his feelings versus his convictions of how he shouldn't be romantically involved with this human. They look at constellations together for awhile in the dark night sky, Cas pointing out galaxies and stars. They talk about when Cas watched her before his vessel. Alex says she thinks she saw him sometimes, a brightness at the corner of her eye that wasn't there when she looked at it directly. Sam comes back to find them sitting together with arms wrapped around each other, and he then knows without a doubt that Castiel loves his sister. Unlike Dean, he's open minded and happy that his sister is happy. The next morning, Dean is writing a goodbye letter to Sam, Alex, and Bobby in a motel. He is 100% against the future in 2014 happening, and feels that if he refuses to become Michael's vessel, he is dooming everyone to that fate. Just as he finishes, he's taken by surprise by Alex and Sam Alex punches him in the face and demands answers. He attempts to explain. They attempt to get him to change his mind. He refuses. They tell him they'll stop him, he says they can't. Then Cas appears and knocks him out.

35: RUNS IN THE FAMILY

We are now in Bobby's house again. Dean is locked in the panic room, for lack of any other solution. Sam lets Bobby know a bit about the Cas/Alex relationship and how it's caused Dean extreme rage and fear. Bobby attempts to reason with Dean, who just pushes Bobby away. The siblings fight more, but they do let Dean out of lockdown. Cas shows up with Adam—their half brother. Cas has brought him because he's a possible vessel alternative for Michael, since he's Winchester blood—Adam was brought back from Heaven by the angels for this purpose. Adam is flippant and dismissive, annoyed to have been brought here—he was enjoying Heaven. He's been contacted by angels already, has a blind allegiance/apathy to the situation, and Dean says this seems fishy. They won't let Adam go until they have better control of the situation or understanding of what's happening. Dean gets locked up again due to his attitude and comments. Alex leaves the house for a moment to cool off and collect her thoughts. Cas meets her in the salvage yard, then spirits them up to Bobby's attic, where they have a more slow, thorough encounter than they did at the Vatican. Afterward, Castiel says he is going to find a way to change the future. That he'll tear down the laws of nature if he has to in order to protect her.

36: CAN'T RUN FOREVER

Cas and Alex are sharing a moment of bonding and learning with each other, after their sexual encounter. They end up talking about the 2014 they both saw, and Cas tells Alex about the unborn child they had together in the future. The pair connect, promise they won't let that version of the future happen. Meanwhile downstairs, Sam and Adam are having a talk. Sam is giving Adam a quick history and biography of John Winchester—Adam never knew his father like Sam, Dean, and Alex did. When Alex rejoins the scene a bit later, freshly showered and saying she fell asleep when Sam asks where she was. When Sam goes to get a shower, Adam strikes up a conversation with Alex where he tries to get a rise out of her. He finds this pretty easy, especially when he realizes she has some kind of thing for Cas. Alex walks away not liking him at all. She finds Cas guarding the Panic Room. They have a heavy conversation about current situations, ending with Alex asking if Anna was right—do they have to kill Sam to prevent Lucifer from rising? Cas insists they will find another way. Sam finds them there and says he is going to try and talk some sense into Dean. Alex says she's going with him. Cas waits behind. The twins attempt to reason with Dean, who insists he will not let Adam "take the bullet" of being Michael's vessel. He lists everyone they've gotten killed, argues that he just wants to put an end to it for good. Dean says he doesn't believe in Sam or Alex, that he knows it's a matter of time before Lucifer wears Sam like a tux. Alex leaves in tears. Sam leaves shortly after, getting nowhere. That's when Dean makes plans for his escape. He draws an angel-banishing sigil in his own blood, then uses Alex, who comes back to talk to him, as bait. He smashes a lamp into her head to knock her out, and Castiel rushes in, and is caught off guard and banished away. Dean makes his escape. Sam finds his twin, and is enraged. He gets her upstairs and she's coming-to as Sam leaves to pursue Dean. Adam attempts to escape in the madness and Alex confronts him, then knocks him onto the ground. And that's when the angels come for them.

37: SACRIFICE

Castiel is in pain from being banished, and he's disoriented—but he hears the celestial whispers clearly. Alex and Adam have been taken. He is so enraged that he can barely see—and that's when Dean prays to angels. Too bad he got Cas. The angel beats Dean within an inch of his life and tells him that Alex got taken because of Dean's actions. Once he's roughed up the hunter enough, he takes him back to Bobby's, where Sam is freaking out about Alex being gone. Cas tells them the angels have her and Adam both. Cas disappears to look for them, and Sam fights with Dean about what happened. Meanwhile, Alex is in the beautiful room with Adam. He is content to wait, she tries to smash the walls. Zachariah appears and is gleeful. Alex is convinced this is a trap for Dean—that Adam isn't in the running for Michael at all. Meanwhile, Castiel is outside of the room, fighting Eliphaz, who says he stinks of humanity and has changed. Cas fights him and kills him, then Zachariah applauds. He has one of his henchmen angels bring Alex out, and Zachariah threatens her and says if Cas doesn't bring Dean back, Alex will die. Alex begs him not to. But Cas can't not. When Zachariah takes Alex back to Adam, seeing that she's bleeding finally gets him to start taking things more seriously. When Zachariah reveals that Adam was never going to be a vessel for Michael, Adam becomes angry and upset. Zachariah toys with them both, then makes them gag up blood and he leaves triumphantly to await Dean's arrival. Alex sees the blood and realizes they've just been given quite the opportunity. Outside of the beautiful room, Cas and the Winchester brothers are preparing to make their move. Cas is carving an angel sigil onto himself—a possibly fatal risk. He will clear out the guards, and Sam and Dean will kill Zachariah and rescue Adam and Alex. Castiel goes in and is surrounded. He knows he may not come back from this. His last thought, as he completes the sigil and banishes them all, is of her. Inside the room, Alex and Adam hear a crazy sound like an explosion. And then Sam and Dean run in, and Zachariah appears too. Sam attempts to attack him with a knife, but the knife gets knocked away. That's when Alex and Adam use the sigil they made, and banish Zachariah completely. As they leave, Alex sees Cas's abandoned blade and knows something is wrong. Sam says they don't know where he is, and she fears he's dead. Zachariah limps back to Michael, who is displeased and says Adam Milligan will have to do as his vessel after all, since Dean is proving to be such a problem.

38: THINGS FALL APART

Sam, Dean, Alex, and Adam stole a car, and are driving back toward Bobby's. They are stopped for an awkward, tense meal at a 24/7 diner. They decide to see if they can get any information from mystics or shamans, prophets. They make their way to Arizona, whereBobby says some sort of prophetess named Aura resides. Alex is not doing well at all—weak, forgetful, depressed. Adam is tagging along, doing his best even though he's not used to this way of life. They meet Aura, who seems to know who they are and what they seek. She says she has no answers for them, except that "what is going to happen, is just the way it has to be. No one is to blame for it." The encounter is unnerving. They leave, hitting the road again. Twelve hours later, Adam wakes up in a motel room. He can't sleep. Restless, he gets up and peers outside the room. And then sees his mother in the parking lot. He rushes out to her. Zachariah appears, and tortures them both. And then Michael appears—and kills Zachariah. He uses the trick to lure Adam into believing he is the good guy. He says his current vessel is weak—he can't defeat Lucifer with this current form. And not realizing it wasn't real, that he is inside of a dream, that Zachariah wasn't actually dead, that this isn't really his mother—Adam says "yes" to Michael. Meanwhile in Louisiana—Castiel is in a coma in a hospital. Four weeks later, the Winchesters have still not heard from Cas. It's been a hard month, and Alex has been very depressed. Everyone is worried about what happened with Adam.

39: HOUSE OF GODS

The Winchesters stop off at a hotel in the middle of nowhere, as the rain outside is making it impossible to drive. The hotel is incredibly nice, probably a 5-star place. They check in under a fake name, and head straight to the buffet. Alex doesn't want to eat, and wanders off. Sam is fretting about them enjoying a buffet while this Noah's Ark type flood is happening. Dean says they need to take care of themselves, hence pie. Meanwhile Alex is trying to call Cas yet again. No answer. He's been gone 32 days. She spaces out, but then suddenly the pool is silent and everyone is gone. She feels a sharp little bite on her neck, and finds blood there. She hurries back in search of her brothers, feeling that something isn't right here. She finds them, and they've also seen something that appears odd—they do some snooping and realize nothing seems to be real—files in the office are blank, the place is empty. The brothers are separated from their sister and then captured—taken into a room full of people wearing nametags like Kali, Ganesh, Odin—names of gods. Apparently, the Winchester brothers are of interest to these gods since they're chess pieces in the Apolcaypse. Meanwhile, Alex finds herself face to face with Gabriel. He tells her he's there to rescue her, and that the brothers are being auctioned off to the highest bidding god downstairs to do with as they wish. Apparently Gabe has had a change of heart, and wants to save the boys from "playing their roles." Alex reluctantly agrees, even though she hates Gabriel and the things he's done in the past to her/her family. Downstairs, as the gods argue about what to do with the Winchesters, Gabriel bursts in with great dramatic airs—everyone addresses him as Loki, giving away the fact that he's kept his true identity a secret. However, Kali knows his true identity and takes his angel blade—and kills him in front of everyone. Her claim is that angels CAN die, so they can kill Lucifer with this blade. She sends Alex away, saying she's not a vessel so she's not necessary. Alex escapes the locked room Kali sends her to, and gets on the elevator. When she arrives at the lobby level, the scene awaiting her is chilling. Lucifer is waiting for her, and he's covered in blood from all the dead gods surrounding him. Alex is terrified, and asks if he's there for Sam—and if he has any other vessels. He asks if she's offering. Lucifer then drags her to the meeting room, where Kali and the brothers are. A scuffle breaks out, and the Winchesters duck behind an overturned table. Gabriel appears, to their shock. He gives them a DVD of Casa Erotica and says to guard it with their lives, then he confronts Lucifer. They run away, and Lucifer apparently kills Gabriel then and there. Alex has a mental breakdown, a panic attack.

40: WIDE AWAKE

Alex finds herself in a nightmare where Sam and Dean are dead, and Lucifer has taken Sam's body. She wakes up in a panic—she's been having a lot of dreams like this since the hotel of gods. She's at Bobby's while her brother's are attending to trying to stop the Apocalypse—this time by gathering the horsemen's four rings, to lock Lucifer back into his Cage. She's feeling hopeless and traumatized, and at fault for Cas's death. She's beginning to think he really is gone. She tries to be helpful to Bobby, doing research on end-times prophecies. Her twin calls one afternoon, upset. Dean's gone off with Crowley, who apparently wants to team up against Lucifer. Sam has been drinking, and is spewing out ideas on how to defeat Lucifer. He wonders aloud if he can maybe allow Lucifer to use him as a vessel, then jump into the Cage. Alex says he'd basically be killing himself, and he insists it's a final resort idea. They have a heart to heart, ending with them sharing the feeling of loss and heartbreak over Cas and Jess, respectively. The next day, Alex is having a cigarette in the road to hide it from Bobby—Crowley appears. He's pissed at her, since he says she was a pure soul before she'd had sex—which meant she might have been able to kill Lucifer. He tells her that a demon he tortured recently for info indicated that Alex and Sam are the vessels, not Dean and Sam. Alex feels that something about this information is off and questions Crowley thoroughly. Before he disappears, he proposes that perhaps Alex had no Heaven because her soul is supposed to be destroyed if she becomes Lucifer's vessel and kills him/is killed while being the vessel. Perhaps she was assigned a guardian angel to keep her alive long enough to kill the devil. That night while asleep, Alex sees Cas in a dream. He asks if what he did worked, then is surprised he's been gone thirty-eight days, and observes that she looks unwell. He says he's asleep and can't wait up. Alex starts to realize this really is Cas. Not a dream. It's him. She wakes up, and her feelings in the dream diminish. Cas is gone. And then, her phone rings loudly. It's a number she doesn't recognize, but she answers—and it's Castiel. He tells her he's completely powerless, and thirsty, itchy, and hurting. Alex is already grabbing her keys and on her way. She flies out, taking nothing, and rushes to Cas's side. They have a tearful reunion—Cas cries too, for the first time.

41: THE ELEVENTH HOUR

Meanwhile, a demon that Dean and Sam press for information alludes to Lucifer having some kind of grand plan for Alex that had something to do with Azazel, but he won't say what. The brothers head back to Bobby's. Back in the hospital, the nurse on duty is giving Alex a rundown of how banged up Cas is. He needs pain meds, might need physical therapy, and generally is just pretty run down. When she leaves, Alex begins to get Cas dressed so they can make their escape. She catches him up on everything that's been happening, and Cas confesses that he feels incredibly human at the moment. His powers and celestial grace seem to be missing. Alex is reminded of 2014 Cas. All the sudden, Zachariah appears—he's there to kill Cas, who is an easy kill in his state. Alex, who kept his blade, kills Zachariah instead. She takes his blade, too, and gives Cas his back. They make a quick exit, stealing a car and driving back toward Sioux Falls. When Cas feels hungry, they stop at a Waffle House. He orders a waffle, and uses a fork for the first time. Dean calls and learns that Cas is alive. He reports that they don't have Pestilence's ring, but they know where he is. They plan to meet in Davenport. Before she and Cas get on a bus though, Alex steals Cas some painkiller. She also steals him a book. They take a bus, and fall asleep together. Later, at the senior home Dean told them to meet at, it's quiet and empty. As they steal through, they both begin to feel very sick. The sicker they feel, the closer they are—and they find Pestilence in a room with Sam and Dean who are so ill, they're useless on the floor. Alex joins them, and Cas almost does—but he manages to rally and cut off Pestilence's finger with the ring on it. They take the ring back to Sioux Falls. Bobby says he thinks Death is in Chicago. They then find out that Bobby has "pawned" his soul to Crowley, to find this information. Later, Alex and Sam come to Dean for a talk as he tends to the Impala. Sam is insisting he doesn't see another way except to "do what needs to be done." That's when Crowley appears again. He says that the swine flu Pestilence spread, was just a ruse to get the "vaccine" distributed. The vaccine is in reality Croatoan virus. Crowley proposes that he and Dean go to Chicago for Death's ring, and Alex and Sam take care of preventing the vaccine from shipping. Alex sets to work teaching Cas to shoot a weapon. They head out shortly after.

42: HERE TO FALL

The chapter begins with a flashback from Castiel's perspective—to when he was first getting to know Alex. To when he was punished for making choices in regard to his friendship to her at the time. Juxtaposed to current day: Cas human and powerless, completely invested in the Winchesters, especially Alex. They're headed to a pharmaceutical plant to blow up the place and destroy the virus before it ships out. They talk about Sam's idea to say yes to Lucifer then jump into the Cage. Castiel tells them Sam would have to drink a lot of demon blood to have any chance of that. They storm the warehouse, but a truck gets away—Alex and Cas stop the truck but get jumped by a few croats. It's a scary moment for them both, but everyone is okay. Sam and Bobby touch base—they set off the charges successfully, and head back to base camp, with Alex and Cas set to follow. Cas is especially shaken up. They end up having very passionate sex in the back of the SUV, and tell each other for the first time that they love each other. Meanwhile, Dean gets the ring from Death. When he arrives back to Sioux Falls, he learns that Cas and Alex are still not back, and he's annoyed. Her phone is off too. Dean talks with Sam and tells him he's decided to agree to the plan to say yes to Lucifer and jump into the Cage. Alex and Cas arrive back, and they tell their sister the news. Dean notices Alex misplaced Dad's ring, which she used to wear on her middle finger. That night, they're on their way to Detroit, where Lucifer is. Sam makes his siblings promise not to bring him back, when he gets locked in the Cage with Lucifer. They stop for gas, and the twins have an emotional moment together. Alex is acting oddly, but who wouldn't when their brother is basically about to die? Dean fuels up his car and Sam goes into the store. When he comes back, they realize that without explanation, Alex is gone.

43: IT'S DARKER, ALWAYS DARKER

Cas wakes up and Alex isn't there anymore. The brothers explain that she ran away. Dean thinks it's because she can't bear to watch Sam become Lucifer. Either way, they can't spare the time to go find her, and that has to wait. Sam, Dean, Bobby, and Cas arrive at the location intel provided, and Sam drinks gallons of demon's blood and marches across the street, announcing his presence with shouts. That's when Castiel recognizes the presence of Lucifer… but sees Alex's shape in the high up window, not the other vessel. The brothers are dragged upstairs and come face to face with… Alex. But she's not herself. It's Lucifer, and he's destroying her body. Lucifer explains that he planted false information for Alex to receive so she would believe she might save everyone by being the vessel. In reality, Lucifer knew that having Alex's body would give him a tool of manipulation against the brothers. Sam says yes, and both twins fall to the floor. Lucifer enters Sam, and Alex is left dying. The cage opening spell Dean enacts fails, and Lucifer takes Sam and disappears. Alex is regretful and ashamed, blaming herself for falling for Lucifer's trick. Meanwhile, Sam and Lucifer are sparring internally, and Lucifer shows Sam his ultimate plan that's been in place since before Sam's birth for a new earth. Sam, as Lucifer, will impregnate his sister—the bloodline must be theirs—and Alex will have Nephilim twins, who will become the Adam and Eve of the new world order. Then, Sam will burn her to death on the ceiling just like Mary died. Sam is horrified and sick, but Lucifer is in total control. Sam despairs, unable to do anything but exist.

44: DUST TO DUST

Cas, Dean, and Alex find out where the battle between Lucifer and Michael is to take place the next day, and they go there in an attempt to reach Sam inside of the Devil. There are heartfelt moments between everyone surviving. Dean and Alex go in to be with their brothers Adam and Sam, and attempt to turn the hands of fate. Unfortunately in the attempt, Lucifer kills Bobby, uses Alex's own hand to stab Castiel dead, and then kills her too. Dean is barely able to, but reaches Sam at the last moment—who in despair at killing everyone he holds dear. Dean opens the Cage, and Sam falls in, taking Michael with him.

45: ASHES TO ASHES

Dean is the only one left, his entire world has been taken from him in mere moments: his brother, his sister, Bobby, Cas, Adam… all gone. He thinks of killing himself. Nearby, without explanation and against all odds, Castiel is brought back to life. By who? By god? He doesn't know, but his angelic powers are back. He heals Dean, brings back Alex, restores Bobby. Alex learns that her twin has all but died. She has survivor's guilt. Castiel supposes he has been brought back to perhaps restore order to Heaven, which has lost all of its Archangels except Raphael. He feels that he owes a debt to Heaven and God, who must have brought him back. Something seems off about Cas to Alex. Later, Castiel attempts to bring Sam back from Hell, and while he recovers Sam's body, Castiel has left his soul back in Hell—and Sam, not Sam at all really, does not return to his siblings, who go on believing he's dead. Castiel finds that Raphael fancies himself the new boss in town now, and he threatens the Winchesters. Castiel cannot return to her until Raphael is defeated. Crowley soon after propositions Castiel to help him find Purgatory, and from there, take souls to use in order to kill Raphael. Crowley wants half the souls for himself, so that he will become the new King of Hell. Castiel makes the deal, with the added caveat that Crowley will find out if Alex's name is in the Book of Hell, and if she is, she will be removed from it permanently. On earth, Dean and Alex have their worst ever fight, that becomes physical—Alex threatens to kill Dean at the height of their altercation. She disappears and leaves him. Dean ends up going to Lisa's and attempting to change his life to something more normal. He doesn't hear from Alex for months. Castiel starts a war in Heaven—declaring that the angels are either with Raphael who wants the Apocalypse to happen, or they're with Castiel, who wishes free will for the angels. He sends a message to Alex at the beginning through Balthazar to let her know why he's vanished, but the message is not delivered.

46: THE SILENT YEAR

We flash back to 1995, when Alex was 13. Her father is drilling her with an immersion tactic, a training run. A sick, strange tradition that John Winchester put all his kids through in their childhoods. He's hunting her in the woods and expecting her to defend herself against him. He easily overpowers her and shames her verbally for her mistakes against his attacks. Present day, it's been four days since Cas disappeared and Sam died. She summons Crowley, and traps him. She demands that he bring Adam and Sam back or he dies. Crowley says no, and escapes. Six months later, Crowley meets with Castiel and says that Alex is indeed meant to be in Hell, but he's removed her name. Crowley says to ask Fate why she was supposed to go there. As Castiel keeps fighting the war in Heaven, he has Rachel check on Alex and report back. Only Rachel is lying, and is not interacting with Alex at all. Alex doesn't know why Cas left. About six months into the new normal, Dean is woken in the middle of the night by a strange woman who introduces herself as Jamie, and says she's been hunting with Alex and needs help. Alex vanished out of their motel a couple hours ago. They go to the room, where Jamie's brother Glen is waiting. They find a single black angel's feather, and Dean summons Cas, who appears. He performs a spell on it to find out who it belongs to—utters the name Nandriel—and disappears in a panic.

47: LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP

Alex is one second asleep in her motel room, the next in some kind of warehouse that seems to be magically affected. A tall woman approaches, and says she's Nandriel, why doesn't Alex remember? This is her ex-guardian angel, who Alex has heard of before. She was before Cas, and had been punished for wanting to become a mortal. Nandriel has taken Alex outside the reach of time, to use her as collateral. Castiel is indeed unable to find her, but knows that if he can find an instance of her in time somewhere, he can find her now, too. So he goes back to the night of the nursery fire, knowing she will be there. As the scene unfolds of Mary putting the twins to bed, Castiel finds himself considering changing the past to save them all from the future. When Azazel appears, Castiel realizes that Nandriel is nowhere to be found. He watches Azazel drip blood into baby Sam's mouth, then begin to prepare to do the same to Alex. Castiel intervenes then. Baby Alex begins to cry loudly at his appearance, and Azazel mutes her at that moment—and that's when Mary comes in and is pinned to the ceiling and slashes her open. Castiel can do nothing but ease her pain as she dies—if he changes the past, he could destroy the universe at this point. He is realizing Alex was mute all those years because of him. And just then, he feels and hears her screaming for him. He leaps across time to reach her. Nandriel's plan is then revealed—she will give Alex to Raphael in trade for her own freedom. She escaped from her imprisonment because Cas's war is tearing Heaven apart, and has no plans to be imprisoned ever again. She and Castiel fight, and he manages to gain the upper hand and kill her. Cas, knowing he can't be near her due to Raphael, sends her back to her time, but into a snowy field in the middle of nowhere.

48: NOISE AND CONFUSION

Alex finds herself injured and alone, and angry that she's left in the dark again. She picks a direction and heads there. Meanwhile, Dean and Jamie are digging up a grave to salt and burn a body in case it's become a vengeful spirit. They get to know each other a little bit. Jamie is a jaded, troubled person similar to Dean. They get into a bit of a predicament when cops show up, but Jamie smooth talks their way out of it. Afterward, they get a call from Alex, who is surprised that Dean is with Jamie. She is about two hours away in another town, and needs a ride. She does however tell Dean she's not ready to see him. Glen, who is closer to her location, is sent to go get her. He arrives in about an hour to collect her, and flirts with her a bit when they do. He kisses her at the car, and she rejects the kiss. Later, in Hell, Castiel shows up and attacks Crowley, blaming him for Alex's plight and lack of safety. Apparently, demons have been watching Alex for Crowley/Castiel. Behind the scenes, Alex has become addicted to Demon blood.

49: ONE BIG, HAPPY FAMILY

Dean has returned to Lisa's, but he's disturbed about his sister's refusal to see him. Lisa is not entirely supportive. Two months later, Jamie gets a call from Dean, who is urging her to get herself and Alex barricaded—some dangerous Djinn are on the loose, and targeting Winchesters. Alex does the opposite and goes outside. She's immune to the Djinn's poison due to the demon's blood, and she kills them with Jamie's help. At this time, it's revealed that Jamie is a witch. Then, Dean is there… with Sam. There is quite the reunion between the three. Sam has been hunting with Samuel Campbell, their maternal grandfather. Immediately, something is very wrong—aside from the fact that Sam didn't make contact with either sibling for close to a year, he just seems off. Sam invites them to join in with him and hunt together again, just like that. They both decline. Dean feels like he has to stay with Lisa. Alex is suspicious and angry at Sam for letting them think he was dead that whole time. Dean and Alex spend a little time together, then he returns to Lisa's. Alex and Glen have a scene—he toys with her and flirts with her, not really out of genuine interest in her as a person, but as a conquest. She is not into him, and rejects his strong advances as usual.

50: THE BABYSITTER'S CLUB

Two months later, Alex receives a call from Sam, who brusquely says he needs her help. With, of all things—a baby. When she insists she has no clue about babies, Sam hangs up. Two days later, he and Dean show up with this baby which is actually a shifter baby, and Alex and Jamie get roped into helping. Dean and Jamie continue to have a very good chemistry with each other. Sam is off, as before. Alex is a little afraid of the baby. She's never held one before. The baby's father comes in pursuit. In defending them, Jamie uses her empathic witches powers, and Dean immediately changes his mind about her, condemning her. He accuses her of being aligned with demons to have powers like that.

51: BLURRED LINES

It's revealed in flashbacks that Glen let his little sister drown while watching, when he was a kid. It's revealed that he has no feelings or empathy toward people, but does enjoy inflicting pain and manipulating people. He has learned Alex has been with an angel, and he wants to have her as a conquest, add her to his resume. He attempts to seduce her, and at first she goes along with it because she's so lonely. When she says to stop, he doesn't. She barely escapes. She calls her brothers in a panic, saying she's killed someone, she needs help, something's very wrong. Dean runs to her, and Sam doesn't. Alex has been beaten, and Glen attempted to force himself onto her. She killed him in the struggle. However police reports later state, no body was found. Later, Dean threatens Jamie and says to never let him see her face again. At a hotel with her brothers recovering, Alex has joined them. She wants to pretend nothing happened. When the job Sam and Dean are working seems to have angelic players, Dean calls Cas—Alex had given up calling him months ago. Cas appears. Finally, after a year, Alex gets to ask Cas where the hell he's been. He is confused, thought the messages he sent had been relayed. Soon the truth is made apparent on several counts. Rachel has been lying to Cas, and Alex has been drinking demon's blood. Castiel finds out about the assault. They fight because of the misunderstandings, but reconcile too. The chapter ends with them embracing.

52: FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS

Jamie is now alone. She sees signs of demonic presence where Glen attacked Alex, and to find out what happened, she attempts to summon Ruby, but Meg appears instead. Meg recognizes Jamie as the witch who sold her soul to save someone. Jamie didn't know until today though, that she was one of the seals to begin the apocalypse. Meanwhile, the Winchesters are working a job together. Castiel joins them for a bit, and he seems off to Alex. Perhaps the war is changing him, but he isn't exactly like she remembers. There is a slipup later on, and Raphael's henchmen appear. Castiel barely manages to defend them. There's an encounter with Balthazar, who has stolen heavenly weapons. The chapter ends with the brothers and Castiel putting Alex into the panic room to detox from demon's blood.

53: SKELETONS

Castiel confronts Rachel about her lies regarding Alex's wellbeing. Rachel insists she did it to keep Cas focused on the war. Angry at her betrayal, Castiel tells her he's leaving Ezekiel in charge because he has to go away for a bit. Back on earth, Alex's withdrawals include extremely vivid and troubling dreams/hallucinations. Castiel stays with her as she withdraws, caring for her through the worst of the symptoms. It takes days, but she finally is cleared to leave the room. Bobby has a lead on how where Crowley's bones are, which they can use as leverage against him, and he sends Cas and Alex to the task. Cas, who has a secret deal with Crowley, knows he can't let this happen. He and Alex go to Scotland, and she digs the bones up. They have a meaningful conversation about the past year. Then, over the phone, they use the bones as a way to cancel Bobby's soul deal with Crowley. Crowley then appears in Scotland, collects his bones and sasses around, and disappears again. Cas gives Alex back a penny on a chain that was given to her by him in the past, offscreen. He has to go back to Heaven, but he will be listening for her calls now and responding to them too.

54: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

The Winchesters are hunting together again—trying to be normal after a year of nothing close to normal. Dean and Alex discuss Sam's recent weirdness. They are working a job where girls in their late teens are going missing. They pose as FBI and go to the most recent missing girl's house. Her room is a shrine to pop culture vampires. Her computer has messages from a guy pretending to be a vampire, and asking to meet at a specific bar. Alex nabs some clothes from the girls room, and they go to the bar with her dressed as bait. Dean runs into Jamie, who isn't looking good. She's working this job too, seemingly having a deathwish. While Dean is distracted by this, Alex runs across the man who is luring girls, and he takes her out back. Sam is watching, but does nothing—let's her get bitten and turned, then commanded to turn Dean too. She does. She and Dean both pass out and come to with Sam, who has called Samuel to their aid. He seems unbothered that his siblings have been turned into vampires and are suffering. Dean runs away to go to Lisa, and Alex attacks Sam and bites him. When Dean despairs at the thought of being this way forever, he calls Jamie and goes to her, telling her to kill him. She ends up putting him to sleep with witchcraft instead.

55: FANGED UP

Alex comes to, tied to a chair. Her grandfather Samuel is there. They do not get along at all. Jamie arrives, bringing an unconscious Dean with her. Jamie tells Alex she is going to see if she can find a spell to cure her—Alex confesses she killed Glen. After group discussion, they decide to use Dean and Alex's current vampire states to track down the vampire nest in town. They track it down and kill the leader. Samuel has the cure and it works on Dean, but it won't work on someone who has fed. Alex fed on Sam. Jamie does a magic spell, which renders both of them unconscious.

56: TRUTH BE TOLD

While Alex wakes up a handful of hours later in the hospital, Jamie is in a coma. When Alex was healed by her, she saw in her memories that Sam willfully let her get bitten. Dean learns from Samuel that Jamie believed healing Alex would kill her. Sam is insisting they get back to hunting. Reluctantly, Dean agrees. Alex privately tells Dean about Sam letting them turn. Dean gets cursed with the truth, and everyone tells him the 100% truth. Lisa calls and breaks up with Dean. Dean tries using this curse against Sam, but Sam is able to lie through it. Sam says he is so sorry, he froze, he didn't want Alex or Dean to get turned. Dean questions Alex about Cas and learns about their relationship. Alex's truths end up giving her a severely upset moment. They end up coming face to face with Veritas, the goddess of truth, who has been playing with this particular town. She makes them all tell truths, but when she gets to Sam, he manages to lie to her and it enrages her. In the upset, they manage to get the jump on her and kill her. The curse is broken. Dean attacks Sam, demanding to know who he is. Sam uses Alex as a shield, holding a knife to her. When Dean talks him into releasing her, he beats Sam senseless. Alex has to call Cas to break up the fight. Cas and Alex have a brief private moment, where they discuss the secret Alex almost told Dean this day. Cas looks at the penny necklace meaningfully. Alex says she thinks Dean might react badly if he finds out how they ran off and got married.

57: APRIL 29TH, 2010

This entire is a flashback to April 29th, 2010 when Cas and Alex had about a 18-24 hour period to themselves before the events of Chapter 42. They share a picnic, Cas tries candy, they connect, talk about how they think the world is ending, Castiel ends up asking Alex to marry him. He feels it's "right," both from a biblical perspective that is programed into him, but he also feels he wants to be committed to forever (and already is). Alex never imagined or fantasized about marriage, but is very in love with Cas and agrees.

58: SONG OF SONGS 6:3

Chuck marries them in his living room in a comical but heartfelt ceremony he cobbled together. Alex wears a thrift store dress. They exchange a penny that was in Cas's pocket, and Alex hands over her dad's ring for Cas to keep in his. After they're wed, Cas has a driving lesson and then they book a hotel room where they have their wedding night encounter. There's also a tickle fight scene. It's bittersweet, because they both feel they might not be alive in a few days.

59: NOT BROKEN

Back in present day, Dean confronts Cas about "screwing" his sister. He views Cas as an ancient pervert, and is afraid of Alex being hurt/the situation being out of his control. Alex slaps sense into him, literally, and they get back to the task of figuring out what's up with Sam. Castiel discovers that he has no soul, which explains a lot. Apparently, it's still in Hell. Nevertheless, they need him for the hunt. Sam takes Dean and Alex to Samuel's compound. Castiel comes too, and meets Samuel for the first time. Samuel is putting together a hunt the Winchesters go along for. On the hunt, Alex gets separated from the group and is attacked by a black-eyed Glen.

60: BACK IN BLACK

Glen, now a demon, attacks Alex. He wants revenge on her, and to finish what he'd started. He has plans to kill his sister, too. He beats Alex, but she calls to Castiel who comes down from Heaven and absolutely decimates Glen, but injures himself in the process. Sam and Dean arrive, and Sam is unbothered by what severely upsets Dean. They take both Alex to the hospital to recover.

61: GET WELL SOON

Cas and Dean have a heart to heart and seem to come to an understanding about Alex/Cas's relationship as Alex recovers. Dean discovers that Samuel is torturing an Alpha vampire for information, and lying to everyone about what he's doing. The Winchesters question the Alpha, and discover that each Alpha has a mother—they learn about Purgatory too. Samuel is trying to find out how to get there, apparently. Crowley appears and his alliance with Samuel is revealed. Crowley also reveals he brought Sam back, and he's now King of Hell. If they want Sam's soul back, they have to work for him. He asks for a live alpha in return for the soul. Dean and Sam decide to go work that job, and Alex goes to Bobby's.

62: CUPID'S STUPID

Alex and Garth work a case involving a cupid named Timmy. The chapter is light and humorous. Castiel appears and helps out at the end.

63: WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE

The Ghosthunter crew connects with Alex, needing her help with a place called the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose California. She meets them there… and finds that there is a SuperNatural convention in town—the books Chuck has written about her and her brothers' lives. She sees cosplayers, Wincest, and more, sees people arguing over Destiel. Alex finally meets up with the Ghostfacers—Harry and Ed—who say they got separated from their girl Maggie in the house. The place is full of EMF. They discover that the entire house itself is the vengeful spirit. That means they have to torch the entire place. Adventure ensues, and Alex gets trapped in the burning house. Castiel comes to the rescue. They go back to Bobby's, and take a shower together.

64: BREAKFAST AT BALTHAZAR'S

A month later, Alex is biding time at Bobby's, helping with research and organization. Balthazar reveals himself to her, and he's two things: bored, and assigned to watch over her. He whisks her off to Paris for lunch, because he can't stand to spend another day at Bobby's. He apologizes for never delivering Cas's message. Balthazar expresses worry that Cas and Alex's relationship won't end well. He also tells her how Castiel isn't doing well under the pressures of the war. Meanwhile, Crowley tells Castiel to call Alex and Bobby off his case, says they're too close to messing him up. Castiel goes to Alex, finding her in Paris with Balthazar. He takes her to Norway to see the Northern Lights. Later, Dean calls with the good news that he and Sam are close by and coming to see her.

65: CALLING ALL ANGELS

Alex attempts to bake for the brothers and Bobby. She leaves sugar out of the pie, so it's horrible. Castiel appears too, and the group spends time together playing chess and just hanging out. Dean gets drunk and expresses his despair about losing Sam, yet having him there at the same time.

66: SLOW BURN

Three weeks later, Sam and Dean have both been knocked out and Meg/her henchmen have them bound to chairs. She wants them to tell her where Crowley is. They strike a deal that if Meg helps them find their Alpha, they'll hand Crowley to her with a bow. She leaves for the time being, and Alex shows up. She's been looking for Jamie, with no luck. Dean and Alex have a moment, and Sam goes outside and calls Cas with the false claim that Alex is hurt. He then demands Cas help them find Crowley. They go to Samuel's to see if his notes have anything they can use to locate Crowley. Samuel reveals that Crowley will give Mary back to him if he does what he's told. Later in the chapter, Castiel sees porn for the first time, and has questions, plus a boner. Samuel comes through with Crowley's compound location. They meet up with Meg and her henchmen, and head to the compound. Cas leaves briefly, making up an excuse, and lets Crowley know what's happening and they devise a plan to trick the Winchesters. The Winchesters and Meg storm the compound and are quickly caught in the trap.

67: IN TOO DEEP

The three Winchesters are caged up. Samuel appears to have sold them out. He argues with them through the cages, and Alex spits in his face then breaks his nose through the bars. Dean is taken away. The twins, who have been put in a cell together, draw a devil's trap on the ceiling with Sam's blood. They escape their cell and reunite with Dean and Meg. They surprise Crowley (or so they think), and Cas reappears with "Crowley's bones." Crowley admits he can't restore Sam's soul. Cas then destroys the fake bones and Crowley fakes his own death. Castiel is slowly dying of guilt and shame at the lies he can't seem to stop living. Alex and Cas have an intense argument, then rough makeup sex. He pushes the limits, and they go for numerous rounds, at an almost insane pace.

68: SOUL SEARCHING

Samuel limps back to his compound and into a secret shack where he's been keeping Jamie prisoner, keeping her sick/weak by making her heal him with her magic, and also using sedatives. However, she doesn't remember who she is, thanks to some magic from Crowley. Meanwhile, Alex is struggling with memories of Sam as he used to be, and how close they were as smaller children. She has a plan to get his soul back, and hasn't talked to anyone about it. She calls Cas to her, tells him to wait five minutes before bringing her back, then kills herself by using a syringe full of potassium chloride. Alex is now dead, and looking for a Reaper. Instead, she encounters Death himself. She asks what his price would be to bring both Sam and Adam back. Death shows Alex that back on earth, Castiel is in physical agony. He explains that Castiel has taken her soul claim from Hell into himself, and it's killing him slowly. Death says to "get that thing out of his chest" and then sends her back to earth. Castiel is angry at her, and then she's angry at him too for not telling her about the soul claim. He says he can't put it into the book of Heaven until Raphael is defeated. They fight more and Castiel leaves on unresolved terms.

69: MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

The Winchesters reunite and Dean says he too has talked to Death. Death says he can restore Sam's soul, and put up a wall to protect from the Hell memories. In exchange, Dean must wear Death's ring for 24 hours. He puts it on and gets to work. Sam, deciding he doesn't want his soul back, calls Balthazar in secret. When that gives him no answers, he calls Meg. She agrees, and requires sex from him as payment. He makes good on his end of the deal, and she tells him to make sure his soul can never re-enter his body, he has to scar his vessel. She says he needs to kill a family member to scar the vessel. Sam knows which sibling will be easier to kill, and begins to plan it. He stalks Bobby's residence at night, and knocks Bobby out, which is when Alex discovers him. She aims a gun at him, but can't bring herself to shoot him. He knocks her out in her moment of weakness. When she wakes up, Sam has prepared for her to call Cas, who he traps in a ring of holy oil. At the last possible moment, Dean appears, taking the ring off and knocking Sam out cold. He failed to wear the ring for the full day, but saved Alex's life. Later, Alex is able to talk Cas into letting her have her soul claim. He gives it to her to keep until he can access the book. Meanwhile, Dean and Bobby discuss with to do with Sam. And then, Death appears and does what he promised, despite Dean not meeting his end of the deal. Sam's soul is restored, and he falls into a coma-like state. The next day, he wakes up, and he's himself. He doesn't remember the year he spent soulless. His last memory is killing Cas, Alex, Bobby, and almost Dean. It's an emotional reunion.

70: TABULA RASA

Three days later, Dean has told everyone they are not to tell Sam about the year of him being soulless or what he did. He fears it will break the wall in Sam's mind. They tell Sam he has just gotten back. Samandriel the angel is sent by Castiel with flowers for Alex, as he wants to try and treat her better and make the times apart easier. The next day, the Winchesters head out for a new job, Sam insisting he's fine and wants to come. Sam finds out that Dean and Alex went separate ways for the year he was gone and he's shocked. The next day, the siblings are on downtime. Alex is happy-drunk in a bar with Dean. Cas appears, and very drunk Alex drags him to a convenience store with her to buy things, then they go to their motel room forcing Sam and Dean to wait outside while they go at it. The next day, Alex has a terrible hangover. She and her brothers work a job for most of the day, and later on when Cas comes to see Alex and she's stepped out, Sam fools Castiel into telling him about his soulless year. When Alex comes back, Sam apologizes to her—he's absolutely gutted.

71: DATE NIGHT

They return to Bobby's. Sam confronts Dean about the soulless year and the decision not to tell this information to Sam. The twins have a scene where they're laying on the grass staring at the sky together and having a meaningful conversation. Later, Cas is able to spare some time and he takes Alex to dinner at Biggerson's. They have a conversation, share food, and Cas heals a little girl at a nearby table out of the goodness of his heart. They go home, and spend some time in the attic cuddling together. It's revealed that Cas did not give her soul claim to her, but acted like he did, tricking her. Later, Castiel and Balthazar conspire to steal heavenly weapons from the angel Daniel's possession. But to do it, they need to create a diversion using the Winchesters…

72: PARDON MY FRENCH

Balthazar has cast the Winchesters into an alternate reality to hide them from Raphael's henchmen. The brothers find themselves on some kind of TV set… with no Alex. The boys quickly discover they're on set of a show called Supernatural, which is a show about two brothers hunting paranormal foes. There is no Alex Winchester in an otherwise duplicate universe. They do some research using Jensen's trailer, and find that a fanfiction author named River Winters has written a story about Alex Winchester and it's blow-for-blow their actual story. They devise a way to learn her address so they can go talk to her. Meanwhile, in Hawaii, Alex comes to, crashing into hot pavement and finds herself face to face with Johnny Depp. Everyone there is calling her Astrid, and there are pirates everywhere. Alex thinks she must be hallucinating. She finds out that Sam and Dean are characters in a show called Supernatural, which films in Canada. She sets out immediately, but not before punching Johnny Depp. Meanwhile, the boys have lucked out. The author of the fanfiction with Alex lives close, and they've gotten to her residence a few hours later. They attempt to convince her of who they are but she refuses to believe, until she tests them by having them separately, without looking, write down Alex's first word or words, a detail only they would know. They do so and reveal it to her at the exact same moment: "Dean." The author freaks out, and then freaks out because she doesn't understand how she can know what she knows. She can't give the boys too much information except the actress who plays Alex: Astrid Berges-Frisbey. According to twitter, Astrid had a meltdown on set and punched Johnny Depp. The brothers know they found their sister, and will go sit tight and wait for her. Alex watches Supernatural on her 19 hour flight, and can't believe how she got erased. The brothers looked up flights and have a general idea of when to expect their sister. One waits at Jared Padalecki's house in case she shows up there, the other one waits on set. Alex arrives to set but encounters Misha in a parking lot, who is leaving for the night. She sees him get carjacked, and she gives chase and saves his life.

73: EVERYBODY HATES KRIPKE

Alex manages to save Misha from being murdered, and kills the powerless angel who attempted to hurt him. Misha takes Alex to the Padalecki residence where she encounters Ruby… Genevieve Padalecki. More comical antics ensue. When Sebastian Roché gets killed though, Sam and Alex and Misha hightail to set where they find that two rogue angels are on the loose, searching for them on Raphael's behalf. However one of them has already been killed by Alex. They encounter Kripke, who admits to the Winchesters that he comes from their universe and knows about their life because he's a prophet—but he decided to write out most of the female characters because he wanted a male driven TV show. The other angel appears, and gives the Winchesters a run for their money, but they manage to kill him right before they're sucked back into their universe. There, Raphael is waiting. However, Castiel appears and saves them in the last second. He takes them back to Bobby's, where he and Alex share time together. Although their stress levels are getting worse, they still love each other very much. The chapter ends with an ominous statement that they don't know it, but this would be their last good night together.

74: KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

Chapter opens with the twins giving each other haircuts as they've done most of their life. Dean is being grumpy and going through some shit. Sam is worrying about what he did (and doesn't know about doing) when he was soulless. The group gets a lead on Eve, the "mother of all" that the Alpha Vampire mentioned. Dean gets a call 911 from Ben that turns out to be false—kid just wanted Lisa and Dean back together. Lisa and Dean fight instead, and Dean explains to Ben that it's over between them then leaves. It's a lot on Dean. A couple days later, they link up with Rufus and Bobby to see about following up on the Eve lead. They run into Samuel's crew, too—and Jamie. She looks bad, doesn't know her name, and Dean attacks Samuel right away and the scene erupts into confusion. Dean attempts to attack his family at a certain point and they learn that there's a creature, a worm, that is possessing people and controlling their minds. Jamie kills Samuel. After the worm leaves Dean, it enters Samuel's dead body. After they use electricity to get the worm out, they all decide to test themselves. Bobby has the worm, and stabs Rufus to death. They trap the worm inside of Bobby and question it through Bobby. The worm tells them that Eve is going to make sure the earth is more creatures than human. That everyone will die. They kill the worm through electrocution. Later, they have buried Rufus. Dean volunteers to drive Jamie a few states over to get back to her car, since that's where her wallet, gear, etc is. They are on friend terms again.

75: DUST IN THE WIND

The chapter begins with a flashback: In 1912, the Titanic doesn't sink. This twist of fate goes on to change many, many things. Present day: Sam and Dean are about to leave for a job. They feel like they're forgetting something. They can't figure out what. Twenty-six years ago, John Winchester, dad to three kids who he can barely manage (one of whom is mute), is getting drunk on a bourbon that was created by immigrants from the Titanic. Dean is 7, the twins are 3. The kids are stressing him out, and he feels guilty that he's not doing what he's supposed to do for them. He's been thinking about it for awhile, but he decides to give her away to the state so she can have a better life. He tells the boys he's going to the gas station with her, then hours later comes back and tells the brothers there was an accident and she's dead. When John is in the hospital in 2006, he confesses to Dean there was no accident. That Alex was given over to state custody. Dean fights with his dad, enraged. The brothers set to work tracking down their sister, who will be an adult now. They visit DHS in the county they'd been in that fateful night. They find out that Alex did not do well at all—sabotaged all her foster placements, failed in school, refused to sign. She overdosed on sleeping pills at fifteen. Sam and Dean go to visit her grave. Present day, Dean is feeling more and more off as they try to work the current job. They encounter Balthazar, who admits to tampering with time for his own gains. He says there are no rules anymore. He asks about Alex, realizes she's dead in this timeline he's created, and he disappears. Cas and Balthazar meet up somewhere private and Balthazar tells Cas that HIS plan to sink the Titanic to create new souls, has resulted in Alex being dead. Cas goes to see for himself, in the past. And realizes he has to change it back. The Winchester three wake up in the Impala. Sam and Dean both had the same dream. Alex remembers nothing.

76: SHADOW OF A DOUBT

The Winchester three and Bobby are at Samuel's now-abandoned compound, trying to find the library. When they discover it, they set to work poring over the books for information on Eve. They get a lead that requires them to go back in time to track down a Phoenix to harvest its ash, which can supposedly kill Eve. They think they can get Cas to help with sending them back, but when they call him, Rachel appears instead. She clearly dislikes Alex, and just when it looks like things might get physical between Alex and Rachel, Cas shows. He agrees to send them back in time. Dean confides in Cas about the "freaky dream" he and Sam had about Alex (from chapter 75) and Cas lies to him, which pains Cas. He is feeling more and more guilty and ashamed for all the secrets. Alex is noticing that something is wrong with Cas beyond what seems obvious (stress of the war). Bobby, Dean, and Sam are going to go back in time to the wild west to collect the Phoenix ash while Alex stays behind and mans the house. Cas tells them they only have twenty-four hours, or else he risks losing them. Alex is put in charge of time keeping in present time. After sending the boys back, Cas returns to Heaven, where Rachel confronts him about his allegiance to Alex and the Winchesters. She disappears halfway through, and goes to earth to attack Alex in her rage. Cas and Alex kill her together in the fight, but Cas gets injured in the fight—stabbed badly. He passes out, and Alex panics. Samandriel appears and puts a protection ward out to keep them hidden, then says he isn't sure when Cas will recover, but not before alluding to rumors in Heaven about Cas doing some dark deeds. When Cas awakes a few hours later, he says he isn't strong enough to bring back the boys without doing something drastic: a soul touch. Alex agrees to it immediately. At first it hurts, but then their souls touch and she can see everything Cas ever was. And then she sees his lies, the Purgatory deal, the Crowley alliance. She sees his soul claim lie, the other lies. And when the touch ends, Cas realizes, and takes her memory of it to protect himself. A thing he swore to never do again. Watching Alex believe him to be this amazing person and forgetting the truth is another blow to Castiel. Cas successfully brings the brothers back, and everyone hails him as hero.

77: MOTHER OF ALL

The Winchesters work on putting the Phoenix ash into bullets. Alex is struggling with some feelings of doubt because Cas has been acting so oddly and her intuition says something is wrong. The gang needs to track down Eve now—Alex suggests Jamie, who can do a tracking spell since Eve is warded against angels. Cas brings Jamie to Bobby's for the first time. She agrees to help and casts the spell, locating Eve. The crew, including Jamie and Cas, heads to a small town in Oregon to find Eve's specific location. Alex is trying to get Cas to talk with her, and he's being guarded and cold with her almost. Cas finds himself powerless in the town, which means Eve must be close. They find a strange, hard-to-kill humanoid creature in this town that Dean calls "Jefferson Starships." The boys get themselves captured by some, and Alex/Jamie rescue them. They capture one live, and the group interrogate the creature. Cas gets Eve's location out of him, and they attempt to draw her out. Instead they're drawn into a trap. Luckily Dean outsmarts and kills her—but not before she drops information that Crowley is still alive. Afterward, Cas says he will try to find out about Crowley and leaves. This is when Bubby develops suspicions about Cas, since he's the one who burned Crowley's bones. Alex defends him valiantly.

78: HEAVY IS THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN

Castiel is consumed by guilt and remorse and stress due to the nightmare he has willingly signed up to be part of. He questions his morals, his intentions, and his choices but everything has been to protect the Winchesters - especially Alex. The Winchesters meanwhile have noticed many times that their angel friend is acting oddly. When they interact next, the brothers catch Cas in a lie and when the angel leaves again, they are all horrified and frightened. They decide to lure and trap Cas and get answers from him since he is clearly lying and has been for a long time. They use Alex as a lure and then trap Cas in a ring of fire, where they find out upon pressing that Cas has been working with Crowley to save them all, or so Castiel thinks. He admits it and the Winchesters are dismayed. Alex says she doesn't even know him. In the heat of the moment, Cas accidentally reveals he is married to her, and the brothers are double shocked. When Cas tells them they have to run and that Crowley is coming, the situation is left unresolved—however Sam and Dean are infuriated and in disbelief at their sister.

79: LONG ROAD TO RUIN

Bobby, Sam, Dean, and Alex drive back to Bobby's and not a word is said. Once they arrive though, the brothers tear into their sister verbally, both hurt by the deception and alarmed, angry. Dean even says he can't believe she did this without him there, to give her away. He does insist that Cas is dangerous and Alex has to end it and get away before she gets hurt. Meanwhile, Samandriel appeals to Castiel to walk away from this dark deal with Crowley. Cas leaves the interaction feeling that he needs to go apologize to Dean for the deception first and foremost. They argue, have a few small breakthroughs and understandings, and Dean begs Cas to stop while he can. The risks of opening Purgatory are too great. Working with Crowley is too dangerous. Cas insists he has to. He then goes to Alex in the attic and she's taken off her penny necklace and says Cas ruined everything with his lies and actions. She tells him to leave, that she can't do this anymore. Sam and Alex then have a heart to heart - he apologizes for blowing up at her. Sam also tells Alex how he knew, from when Lucifer possessed her body, that she had been pregnant by a few days.

80: TAKEN

Cas and Alex are struggling to understand the lost baby they never knew about, added in with all the other circumstances surrounding them right now. Cas attempts to sway Alex to be on-board with his plans for Purgatory. They fight, and then he is banished from the house - Sam and Dean have corrected the angel wards. Later that day, Ben calls Dean in a panic - someone has broken into their house and is attacking Lisa. Crowley comes to the phone and says to Dean that he's taken Lisa and Ben, and also Jamie for good measure - that he wants the Winchesters to all back off or their friends get killed. Cas attempts to intervene, but Crowley says the only way to stop him is to find/open Purgatory. Cas appeals to Dean to stand down and let him do what Crowley is asking. Balthazar comes to Alex and tries to tell her how dangerous the souls will be if Cas uses them as an arsenal against Raphael - that he won't be able to control the power. He wants Alex to convince Cas to stop. Alex and Dean plan to go rescue Jamie/Ben/Lisa, but Alex swears she is done with hunting after this, she can't take anymore. They track down the demons who are holding the group hostage, but they're possessing them too, meaning they can't fight the demons without hurting Jamie, Ben, or Lisa. In the process of exorcism and rescue, Ben is severely wounded. Jamie is stabbed too. At the hospital, Lisa berates Dean as her child fights for his life. Cas appears, and Dean asks him to heal Ben and then remove memories of Dean/the Winchesters from Ben for their safety. It's a painful moment for him, and he goes to Jamie's bedside afterward. They have a quiet moment, in which he asks about when her soul deal is up and her deathday will come. She doesn't give him an answer. He says he wants to help her get out of it. She's not hopeful about it. Cas is becoming so desperate to get through to Alex, who is refusing all his attempts to talk or reconcile, that he takes drastic action. He decides to take her, and prove himself by force. The brothers see it happen.

81: ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN

The brothers are panicking. They try calling Balthazar but nothing happens - they call Samandriel instead, who appears. He says he doesn't know how to find Cas, and all he can do is take them back to Bobby's. He disappears once they arrive. Meanwhile, Alex finds herself locked in some derelict old building, Cas leaving her there after saying she just has to wait, then she'll see. Crowley comes by to gloat, and they have an altercation - then he disappears and Alex hears sounds of someone being tortured nearby. Castiel is summoned by force by the brothers and trapped in holy oil. They demand he return their sister, he says he is going to show her he's doing the right thing. They all threaten each other, then Sam shoots Cas in the shoulder with a holy-oil laced bullet. Castiel realizes he has to do something dire and he telekinetically moves an object he runs across out of the circle, then he touches Sam, breaking the wall in his mind so that Dean will be distracted and useless. Cas returns to Alex to yet again attempt to convince her to his side. He begs her to trust him, she begs him not to do what he's doing. He shows her around, reveals a bit of the plan to her, shows her a jar with substance inside of it required to open Purgatory. Alex is angry and attempts to leave, then realizes she can possibly thwart what's about to happen. But it will require trickery. So she goes back to him and pretends to be apologetic, coaxes him down, and they have sex while she plans to destroy the jar directly after. However Cas catches her before she can, and he's betrayed. He sends her back to the locked room, and Balthazar appears and attempts to rescue Alex—he is killed in the process by Cas, who accuses Alex of cheating on him with Balthazar. He does a soul touch to see the truth, but is so angry and upset that he isn't gentle, and he accidentally kills her in the process.

82: REST IN PEACE

Meanwhile, Sam has recalled everything he did when soulless, and he is trapped in nightmares and horrors of Hell. Dean and Bobby are trying to rouse him, seemingly without luck—and then Sam suddenly awakes and even though he's not doing the best, he insists they have to go find their sister. While this happens, Castiel has destroyed Alex's soul, shattering it, and he cannot bring her back unless he has more power. Therefore, he is even more trapped into completing the ritual to open Purgatory, absorb the souls, and kill Raphael - and also resurrect/reconstruct Alex's soul. He is double crossed by Crowley, but a last minute sleight of hand enables him to gain the upper hand, do the ritual himself, then come back with incredible, dark power. Just as Raphael is attempting the ritual (with the wrong jar of blood), the Winchesters have arrived. Crowley knocks them aside easily. That's when they see their dead sister, and are overcome with shock and despair. Cas appears then, telling Crowley and Raphael they used the wrong blood and it's useless. He seems eerily calm and detached - not himself at all. Cas kills Raphael easily as Crowley escapes. Cas turns to the distraught Winchesters and Bobby, who beg him to bring Alex back. He is offhand and says in time, but first they need to thank him for saving them. Dean immediately senses how dangerous this is, and he is chilled completely. He complies, thanking Cas out of fear. They beg him to bring back Alex and disarm himself of the weird power he's suddenly acquired. Cas is cold and introduces himself as the new God, saying he needs to punish Raphael's followers. It's revealed he killed Alex by accident, and Dean tries to kill him with the angel blade. It doesn't work. Cas kills Dean without remorse, then Bobby as they attempt to fight him. Cas takes Alex (still dead) and leaves Sam reeling, his whole family dead. Cas takes Alex to the throne room of Heaven, and he is basking in his new power and the lack of feeling he is experiencing. His power has him intoxicated, and he is swept away in delusions of grandeur and plans to cleanse the world and make it a good place. He commands Alex to awake, and she comes back to life.

83: DESTROYER

We learn about ancient creatures of Behemoth and Leviathan - creatures that now live inside of Cas with his celestial power. Being as these beings now were inside of Castiel whose love of Alex was legend, the feelings and thoughts of her also became the feelings/thoughts of the creatures too. When Alex is brought back to life, she remembers nothing and is confused, and quickly frightened when she realizes what has happened. Castiel is clearly not himself. He calls himself the new God, he finds her protests and attacks annoying, repeatedly demands she submits to him, physically and mentally too. He drags her around with him as he attempts to cleanse the world - it lasts for over a week. His body/vessel begins to fail, as the power inside of it corrupts him. Alex grows worse and worse physically and mentally, and continually appeals to Cas who is somewhere deep down inside past this strange new being inside of him. The chapter ends with the real Cas coming through, but only after subjecting Alex to terrible things.

84: THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

We go back about a week in time. Sam is struggling with his broken mental wall—he's hallucinating nonstop—and Dean/Bobby are dead. He calls Jamie, not knowing what else to do in his fragile, unstable state. When she arrives he doesn't remember doing that. She learns about what's happened, and quickly helps by first freezing Dean and Bobby's bodies for the time being. On TV, Sam and Jamie see Cas and Alex in news reports. Alex is alive, which gives Sam a little relief. The two of them summon Crowley, hoping to figure out a way to defeat Cas. He doesn't prove helpful, but they restrain him until further notice. Sam continues to suffer hallucinations as he and Jamie attempt to track Cas and Alex. Crowley escapes after Sam drinks his blood. Sam is alone when Cas and Alex come to him, Cas being weakn and broken and holding the creatures back as long as he can. He resurrects Bobby and Dean. As he is dying, he gives Alex her dad's ring back, and they have a tearful goodbye, believing he is leaving forever. They do the spell to send the souls back to Purgatory, which should leave Cas dead. Instead, the Leviathan are left in him, and attack the Winchesters. Cas's body walks off and into a lake, disappearing there completely.

85: SUNNY MEADOWS

Daphne Weaver finds Castiel—without memories or clothes—as he crawls out of the lake. He has nothing except a penny on a chain with him. Daphne is perhaps not all there mentally, and obsessed with her faith in a guiding god above. She believes this man has been sent to her, and is intended by this god to be her mate and husband. She takes him home with her, to care for him. He remembers nothing. Four weeks later, Alex has committed herself to a mental institution due to a complete psychotic break. She is disassociating and having panic attacks, cycling through a pattern of psychosis and post-traumatic stress. In parallel to her, Cas has named himself Emmanuel, is living with Daphne, and seeing small things that remind him of something but he can't remember what.

86: ALL NIGHTMARE LONG

We are introduced to Dick Roman, a powerful CEO in America. Only, he's not actually Dick Roman… he's Leviathan, and he's Original. The first of his kind. Leviathans can transform themselves/copy into any person they wish, which means they can go undetected in human population. They devour humans as their food, and as such, they are after a way to make the human species as a whole dumber, fatter, and yummier. Another Leviathan called Lesser and he are discussing what to do about Alex Winchester—who they want to eat, and also protect at the same time. Castiel's vessel/mind had this effect on all Leviathan. Original (otherwise known as Dick) sends Lesser to go get her, and Dick says he'll figure out if he will eat her or protect her later. He also warns Lesser to look out for Least—who he calls "that little defect." Meanwhile, Dean and Jamie meet up to work a job with her and attempt to figure out the new villain on the block: Leviathan. They bond further and Jamie attempts to reason with Dean about his feelings on therapy/mental health/Alex. Sam continues to suffer nightmares and hallucinations, and quickly is losing his grip on reality. Bobby's house burns to the ground, an arson job done by Leviathans. At Sunny Meadows Mental Health Center, Alex steals a letter opener and attempts to kill herself with it.

87: WORST CASE SCENARIO

Daphne attempts to seduce Emmanuel, who does not want to partake. Daphne insists that he is meant to be hers, that god showed her visions, that he's been sent to her to be her spouse. She says she hopes when he is ready, he will come share her bed with her. Meanwhile, Alex is still alive, and coming to in a hospital bed where she's been restrained for her own protection. She realizes that Castiel, when he was Godstiel, made her immortal. She can't die, even if she wanted to. She is sent back to Sunny Meadows. Christmas comes and goes. Alex exists in a shallow, depressed, meaningless blur of days. She develops an opiate addiction to her pain medication—the feeling of being high is the only feeling she likes anymore. Whenever her brothers call, she pretends everything is okay. Two months after she tried to kill herself, Alex and her sort-of-friend Zip—a nervous, tic-y, socially awkward doofus—are growing a bit closer. He helps get her drugs sometimes. He's sweet to her. They both feel like outcasts. Meanwhile Dean and Jamie come to Sunny Meadows and Dean sleuths Alex's patient file and finds out the truth.

88: NOWHERE GIRL

Dean confronts his sister about the contents of the file and how bad she's doing. Dean fills his sister in on Leviathan, and all they've learned about them, including that Borax is deadly to them. They end up fighting when she learns that he snooped. They part on bad terms. Two weeks later, Bobby visits Alex. They have a heart to heart, in a moment that is very father/daughter, a moment John never really gave to her. Alex realizes in that moment, that Bobby has been, for years, a dad to her.

89: DEAD LIKE ME

Bobby is near death on life support, and the Winchesters rush to be with him at the hospital. Dick Roman, aka Original, shot him. They're not sure if he will make it or not. Dean reacts badly, acting an ass because of how upset and scared he is. Alex of course is in delicate condition already and this threatens to break her all over again. Bobby regains consciousness for a brief moment and writes down a number for them, then with a last little smile at his kids, he dies. A few days later, Alex has refused to be part of life again and is at Sunny Meadows, feeling sorry for herself and alone and scared to lose anything else. In a moment of weakness and defeat and wanting to feel something again, Alex and Zip have sex. Afterward, she regrets it and just wishes she could go back in time to when her family was okay, Bobby was alive, and Cas was there. Alex finally feels ready to leave Sunny Meadows after her encounter with Zip, and goes to his room to see if she can find anything she will need. She finds Castiel's coat, and then a series of realizations come to her. Zip had checked into the hospital the same day she did, he disappeared for strange days and times, etc etc - it begins to become apparent that he is not who has has said he is. When Alex hits him with a mop that is wet with a Borax solution, the truth is revealed: he is a Leviathan. He begs her saying he's not like the rest of them. His real name is Least. He says he is all that's left of Cas. He says he can even look like Cas for her, if she wants. Alex leaves, taking Cas's trenchcoat, telling Zip that if he follows she will kill him. For the first time in awhile, she feels motivated to do something with her life.

90: CARRY ON

About three weeks later, the brothers are still trying to figure out the five digit number Bobby wrote down before he died. Dean specifically doesn't want to accept that Bobby is dead and gone. Alex has not rejoined the the brothers. Jamie is off hunting with another crew currently. Two weeks later, we catch up with Alex, who left Sunny Meadows for an in-patient mental health clinic to start really working on rehab from her new drug problem as well as addressing things in very intensive therapy. She is currently doing letters to all the important people in her life—letters they may never read, but they've been written to get her emotions out for processing. She hasn't been able to write one for Cas. She and her doctor then do a roleplay exercise where he is John Winchester, and they dialogue and confront her buried feelings and issues and anger towards her dad. A couple days later, Alex has finished with the five week program and is on her way back to her brothers. But before she rejoins and surprises them, she finds it inside of herself to write Castiel that letter. She goes to the place where she saw Castiel walk into the water, and she takes his coat into the water, intending to leave it there and find closure and move on from his death. She realizes she isn't ready yet though when the moment comes, and she keeps his coat.

91: CLOWNING AROUND

The brothers are working a job that seems central to a Plucky's chain store—a game-and-pizza place for kids, with a creepy clown mascot. Sam hates clowns particularly, having a phobia of them from childhood. Alex shows back up as they are working the job, and everyone is very happy to be together again. Alex is very different than she had been, and it even weirds Sam and Dean out that she's seemingly SO normal and okay now. They all catch each other up on the past five months, and Alex gives Sam the letter she wrote him. They bond over this, despite Lucifer still being in Sam's head often as Alex and creating issues. The siblings work the clown job successfully and find an old stride, settling back into who they are. Two weeks later, while working another job, Alex notices Zip's motorcycle and tells her brothers about Zip and that he's following her. Later during the job, he saves all their lives by killing one of his own kind. Five days later, Sam is doing worse with his Hell hallucinations. Sam fears he will die soon. Dean and Alex head out to find someone they have heard is a healer—someone named Emmanuel. The chapter ends with Alex seeing Castiel, and them staring at each other in shock.

92: DO I KNOW YOU?

Castiel doesn't know who Alex is, but he's immediately transfixed by her, and drawn to her. Dean and Alex quickly realize he doesn't know who he is (they also wonder if this is Cas or another imposter), and afraid to somehow break the spell, they don't tell him who they are. Dean even refers to Alex as "Elizabeth" to not trigger Cas's memory. He accidentally assumes that Alex is the one they seek healing for, and outs her as having an opiate addiction to Dean, who is shocked. They meet Daphne, who Alex immediately hates—she is beside herself with shock and grief to learn Cas is alive, has forgotten her, and is "married" to another woman. Daphne's smug attitude earns her a punch in the mouth. Dean begs for Emmanuel/Cas's help, and Cas feels that he must go with them, despite Daphne "forbidding" it.

93: REVELATION

Dean drives Emmanuel and Alex toward Sam, and while they drive, it becomes apparent that Emmanuel is very much indeed Cas from his mannerisms, personality, and temperament. Alex is trying not to break down, and Cas senses her emotional pain and comments on it. Dean pulls over to get gas and snacks, and when Emmanuel gently presses Alex for information she has to get out of the car, she gets so upset. He follows her, and asks to please let him heal her—she got a gash earlier, but she's been refusing to let him touch her. When she finally consents to letting him heal her, the touch jolts his memories and sends him back into himself—he realizes who he is, and who she is. They have a tearful reunion and kiss passionately, then Cas flings off the ring he had been wearing from Daphne. A few seconds later, an angry Daphne who followed them rushes up and demands an explanation. Alex lets her have it verbally, and threatens to fuck her up physically if she doesn't leave. Daphne leaves. As Cas settles back into his memories, he remembers the horrible things he did as Godstiel, and becomes completely overwhelmed, then flees the scene by disappearing into thin air. Dean returns… with Meg the Demon in tow, who Dean says just saved his ass in an attack inside the store. He calls her "backup." Alex can't be bothered with much else in the moment except finding Cas, who she thinks she knows where he must have gone. She leaves in search of him immediately.

94: WALLS OF JERICHO

Alex finds Cas in a nearby park, where he is miserable with himself and everything he's done. He feels guilt and self-hatred and despair at what he caused to happen, the lives he took, the Leviathan he let into the world. He asks Alex what has happened to her while he hasn't remembered, and he is even more heartbroken when she tells him about her mental breakdown. Eventually Alex is able to talk him into coming back with her to save Sam and make some small amends in that way. When they get back to the car, Dean asks Cas if he really does remember everything, and when he says he does, Dean punches him hard and says they're not square, but for now they're gonna hang in and fix Sam. Cas gets his coat back, and they head out. Meg comes with them. Cas and Alex have tension between them, and not the greatest kind—they both have a lot of negative emotions and consequences from everything that happened, and it's difficult emotional terrain to navigate. They manage to steal a moment together later and have sex, regaining some of their old relationship back—but, Cas says he just doesn't think he can be with her like he was before for fear of something bad happening again. He wants to remove himself from her life except for some visits sometimes. Alex is beside herself at his statements. They have a disagreement about it, and leave the moment on bad terms.

95: TRADING SPACES

The group keeps making their way to Sam and is attacked by demons at the hospital. Meg proves helpful, saving their lives a couple times. When Cas makes it to Sam, he bears the bad news that Sam's mind is gone, and there is nothing to rebuild or heal. He is shattered. Cas then realizes he can shift Sam—take Sam's brokenness and pain into himself and give Sam his mental wellbeing. Cas doesn't know if he will survive this, and almost seems to wish he wouldn't. Alex protests, but in the end it's Cas's choice and he choses to save Sam. Sam recovers and is himself again, and Cas falls into unconsciousness. The Winchesters have to make the choice to leave, but Cas needs to be left where he can be looked after. Alex of course insists she's staying, which the brothers worry over, but have little choice about. Meg also volunteers to stay and keep watching, help Alex fight off any other demons that come looking to kill Cas. Meanwhile, Dick Roman has finally captured Zip, and is being held. Dick says he'll let him go but only if he leads him to Alex Winchester. He says he has a month to deliver Alex or get killed for not complying—Dick then throws Zip out a window, sending him plummeting to what would be his death if he wasn't a Leviathan.

96: ENEMY OF MY ENEMY

Alex settles in beside Cas's unresponsive self in the bed and reflects back, losing herself in memories. A demon comes in and attacks her, and Meg saves her life then teases her about how Alex had insisted Meg was not needed. Meg insists that she is not an enemy anymore, as she is on her own and needs allies. So the girls become a somewhat unwilling team. Alex gets a job as janitor at the hospital, and Meg somehow manages to get a nurse job. This way they can always be at the hospital without attracting attention. Alex relapses on opioids to deal with reality. The twins turn 30. Dean and Jamie, offscreen, finally hook up. Kevin Tran makes his first appearance. Meg and Alex watch Cas wake up, and when he does, he grins stupidly at Alex and says she's pretty.

97: CRAZY TRAIN

Although Cas has awoken, he is not himself. He's simple, childlike, silly, and surface level. Alex can't get him to focus or respond in any useful way. He is much more concerned with smelling flowers and following honeybees and trying to make Alex some delicious waffles. Cas insists he doesn't want to do anything serious, and would rather play all day. The brothers come to meet them about 24 hours later with a mysterious stone that seems to be connected to Cas waking up. They are shocked at Cas's odd mental condition and silly behavior. They are appealing to him for help with the ever-worsening Leviathan problem but Cas insists "bad things happen" when he uses his powers and tries to help.

98: PROPHET MARGINS

While Sam and Meg argue, someone slips in and steals the stone. The two give chase and stop who appears to be a teenager. He says his name is Kevin Tran, and he is extremely scared and nervous and won't let go of the stone—in fact he says he can't let go of it. He says he's a student and he seems disoriented and confused as to why he is there. He says all he knows is the stone is "for him" and he can't let anyone else have it. He can read what's written on the stone, when Cas couldn't. An angel named Hester appears with another named Inias, and they try to take the stone. When she sees Cas, she is shocked. Heaven believed him dead. The situation begins to escalate and Dean appears, banishing the angels with a spell. They have to get on the road, now. Kevin is freaking out. The Winchesters take him under their wings and whisk him away, realizing they have to keep him safe until they can figure out this stone, which apparently angels, Leviathan, and demons alike want. It's apparently "The Word of God" and very valuable if it can be translated properly. Only Kevin can do this, because apparently he is a prophet. He had no idea, obviously, and is deeply upset that his entire life just changed. The crew, including Meg, makes for somewhere secluded and secret. Cas continues his odd shenanigans, being mostly useless and silly.

99: CABIN FEVER

The group holes up in one of Rufus' old hunting cabin in the middle of nowhere, trying to figure out their next move. Tensions continue between Alex and Dean, and Dean and Cas. Alex and Dean fight, and she punches him in the face. Jamie joins then, on Dean's request to help ward the cabin. She can't stay, but she and Dean have a heart-to-heart before she goes.

100: MURPHY'S LAW

The atmosphere in the cabin is toxic, with everyone fighting and not getting along. Sam accuses Dean of being different and not himself, and Dean pushes him away emotionally. At some point, Meg goes missing. Alex stays with Kevin while the rest look for her, and she learns about Kevin. They strike up the beginnings of a friendship. He translates from the stone tablet, a way to banish leviathan. The brothers/Cas return. Then, Hester appears and tries to take Kevin. At the last second, Meg reappears and saves them all by killing Hester. Later, Bobby appears as a ghost to Alex and advises her on his thoughts about the translation Kevin got. The chapter ends with Alex out in the woods, being snuck up on by Zip.

101: THE RISE OF DICK

Zip is holding Alex tight where she can't struggle, and insists she isn't safe there. He says Dick Roman is after her hardcore, and she isn't safe, let him help her. Cas shows up and for a moment, he seems more himself as he attacks Zip. Zip wounds Cas, then Sam, then Dean as they all show up, and he grows angrier and angrier. He pushes Alex in anger, accidentally into a long metal spike where she is impaled. However she is immortal still, and in the chaos of attending to her, Zip escapes. This is where the brothers learn about Alex's condition of never being able to die. Cas disappears soon thereafter, upset and saying he cannot handle his thoughts and just needs to be somewhere beautiful. The Winchesters pack up and flee, now knowing there are Leviathans after them including Zip. They check into a motel and see news that Dick Roman has acquired SucroCorp, a food additive company specializing in high fructose corn syrup. The siblings theorize the Leviathans are going to try and take over the food supply this way. They decide they have to take down Dick to affect all Leviathans, and they will begin with summoning Crowley. They tell him their plan and tell them how they need his blood to complete a spell to do so. Crowley is talked into it. Later, the siblings have a talk and Alex learns, by accident, that Jamie sold her soul at some point. Dean admits he wants to go see if he can put an end to that after the wrap up the Leviathan problem. The next day, at a gas station, the siblings see people acting oddly, in trances. It seems like the food takeover has already started. Dean steps out to call Jamie and warn her. She seems distracted, and he presses her. That's when she tells him she thinks she is pregnant.

102: BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Dean promises Jamie he is going to come directly to her as soon as they've killed Dick, he will come to her. The Winchesters work on gathering the ingredients they need to do the spell and kill Dick. Alex stalks off, because she is in her feelings about how her brothers tell her she's rusty and don't want her to foil their efforts. Cas reappears with the news that Kevin, who had been taken back to his home to be guarded by angels, is missing and his guardians have been killed. Cas says he thinks Kevin is being held at SucroCorp. Alex returns, only she isn't Alex. Cas attacks her and it's revealed she's a Leviathan—which means the real Alex has been taken. Crowley shows and gives them "his blood." They set out to go take down Dick.

103: SISTER SISTER

Alex wakes up bound and gagged, in Dick Roman's only is Dick there, but so is Crowley. They're negotiating who will own what parts of the world. Crowley gave the brothers fake blood. After Crowley leaves, Dick takes off Alex's gag, but she refuses to speak. Dick says he is going to deal with her after he kills the brothers, then plucks a hair off her head and says he's going to need that. Alex is moved to a room where Kevin is imprisoned too. He helps her get out of the tape restraining her arms and legs. They quickly plot their escape, and take out the guard on the door first, with Kevin getting a crash course in fighting. Sadly they get caught a few moments later by a group of Leviathans who all look like Alex. They are then imprisoned separately. Zip shows up, and insists he wants to rescue her. He's able to talk her into it, but she insists not without Kevin. Meanwhile the brothers and Cas have infiltrated SucroCorp, but everyone they encounter looks like their sister… a clever ruse by Dick to weaken them. They are separated in the effort, and Cas/Dean end up confronting Dick and sending him back to Purgatory—but they are standing too close and are also whisked away into Purgatory too. Alex, Sam, and Kevin are left in shock, having come in seconds too late to do anything.

104: CORPORATE TAKEDOWN

Dean and Cas come to in a strange place that is dark, barren, and definitely not SucroCorp. Cas is suddenly himself again, and tells Dean they are in Purgatory, and they must run. Meanwhile, Earthside, Sam collapses the second Cas is gone, his mind broken again, his hallucinations back once more. Crowley appears, and tells her that Dean and Cas are dead in Purgatory, and that he is going to take Kevin now too. Crowley also has activated the lab's self destruct, and Alex has three minutes to get Sam, who can barely talk much less walk, out. That's when a mysterious stranger who looks like a twenty-something Cas appears. He almost calls her "mom" as he helps her escape. Zip also assists the escape. The stranger disappears. Alex later has to call Jamie and tell her that Dean did not make it. Alex drills Zip for his help into Purgatory. He tells her if she can find the "portal piece" he will consider it. Apparently it's in the Garden of Eden. Alex is left with the following jobs: care for Sam, who is in complete psychosis. Find the Garden of Eden and get this portal piece, get into Purgatory to save Cas and Dean, try to find and save Kevin. Alex summons Crowley who smirks and says if he didn't know better, he'd think she was about to try and sell him her soul. She says that's exactly right.

105: DEAL OR NO DEAL

Alex tells Crowley she wants him to fix Sam, and bring back Bobby. Crowley says no, and also reminds her she would only get one thing, that her demands are too high. Alex says she will work for Crowley as well as give him her soul, and when he learns she is going to Purgatory, he says he is interested: he wants something out of Purgatory and if she gets it, only THEN will he deliver on his end. As a gesture of solidarity, Crowley says he will take Sam's mental torture and give him sweet dreams and pleasant feelings in his semi-coma. Crowley tells Alex also that he knows she's immortal but the soul deal will end that. He says she will have ten days until the hellhounds come for her, once she is topside from Purgatory. They seal it with a kiss, which amuses Crowley greatly. The next six months, Alex spends doing the work for Crowley, and seeking the Garden of Eden. In Purgatory, Cas and Dean have come to a truce in their friendship, and a newfound brotherhood. Where there had been great animosity before, they're now bonded.

106: HELL HATH NO FURY

Crowley says he has one last task for Alex: torture Meg and get the location of some secret crypts out of her. This causes internal conflict for Alex, who isn't exactly friends with Meg, but owes Meg since she has helped the Winchesters so much in recent times. But Alex needs the location in order to earn Crowley's help. Two months later, Dean and Cas have teamed up with a vamp named Benny, who says he knows about an escape hatch to get them out. Meanwhile, Alex is in Iran, having completed her task for Crowley. She is now seeking the Garden. She has had to hike out into the wilderness with guides, who refuse to go past a certain point with her. She finds the garden, gets the portal piece, and escapes as the garden crumbles around her. Her next step is to contact Kevin, who she finds out is hanging around with Zip, who goes by "Kyle" now. Kevin is angry he's been by himself and on his own for eight months now, and he doesn't know what's been happening with everyone. Apparently Zip/Kyle has been helping him. Kyle says he is now a hunter, and has changed his appearance and "started over." He finally agrees to help Alex get into purgatory. Two weeks later, Alex is in Maine, prepared and ready to get into Purgatory, survive, and then get back out.

107: AD PURGATORIUM

Alex goes into Purgatory, which is an immediate battle with beasts and creatures that are ancient and brutal. She survives, searching for her brother and her angel. Zip's input and knowledge come in handy for staying a step ahead of death. A week later, she finds her people, and there is a joyful reunion between them all.

108: EXIT STRATEGY

Alex has to explain about Sam being unwell, which is surprising to Dean and Cas. They are quickly attacked by Leviathan, and Benny makes his appearance then, meeting Alex for the first time. He recognizes the rock that Alex has, and says he knows where to take it to activate the portal. They begin the journey to find the tree at the center of Purgatory, where the portal is. Cas says he will have to stay behind and make sure no one else gets out except them, and it's not likely he will get out with them. Werewolves attack and Alex is injured to the point of being unable to walk. Cas and Alex steal a brief moment to be together one last time, and say goodbye.

109: OUT OF DARKNESS AND ASH

They find the tree and form their plan for escape. No one trusts Benny, who might double cross them. Indeed, this is what happens… Benny leaves Cas behind, and once outside of the portal, there is an altercation which ends with Dean killing Benny. Alex and Dean go to a motel room nearby where the Impala awaits. While Dean showers, Alex summons Crowley outside and demands he make good, while handing over the thing he wanted from Purgatory: Cleopatra's necklace. He then says Sam is back to normal, and disappears. When Dean gets out of the shower, Alex is gone. Sam meanwhile comes-to somewhere and remembers hitting a dog and falling in love with a woman named Amelia. It's all pleasant memories, but he is stuck wondering where his siblings are. Something feels off to him. Dean calls him, and is angry at him, believing that he abandoned Alex the entire year. Sam is confused, not knowing what really happened but having memories of a year spent not helping find Dean. They end the call on bad terms. Dean then goes in search of Jamie, finding her at the old family home: a mansion in a rich town. He finds her there, drunk and perhaps about to self-harm from the looks of things. She is shocked to see him, but does let him know (lying) that she was not pregnant. Then, when pressed, she says she miscarried.

110: NO MAN'S LAND

Two weeks later: Dean is left alone after spending the last couple weeks with Jamie. She splits without explanation—things have been tense between them and they had tracked down the demon who did her soul deal with no luck reversing it. Sam calls and says he's found Kevin Tran, who was made by Crowley to translate another tablet—this one isn't the Leviathan tablet, this is a demon tablet. Apparently this tablet can open the Hellgates wide—or close them forever. Kevin has escaped with the tablet, and is hiding it. Dean gets a surge of hope. If they can close the Hellgates, no Hellhounds. Meaning Jamie is saved. A week later, the brothers are together again, even though Dean is very angry at Sam for "abandoning" the family yet again. Sam has memories of his time with a dog and Amelia, but something feels very off to him. Dean begins having very realistic visions of Cas. The next day, Cas shows up looking terrible. All he can say to Dean is "your sister is dead."

111: MISSING PERSONS

Apparently, Alex returned to Purgatory to get Cas but got sick, then died in his arms and he says her soul is "gone"—that she really is dead forever, even if he can't understand why. The brothers continue to fight. Cas rescues Kevin from Crowley. The brothers finally have a moment of understanding between themselves.

112: CONSIGN ME NOT TO DARKNESS

Cas's mind control is revealed, with his thoughts being edited and censored by an outside source. This voice tells him to "obey Heaven" and perhaps his wife will be returned to him. He forgets these interactions immediately after they happen. After some time processing, the brothers decide to continue on, and Cas says he is going to be a hunter. Both to atone for his mistakes, and to do what Alex would have wanted: live his life. They are all grieving deeply though. Dean requests Cas to check on Jamie, who won't reply to his tries at communication. Cas finds her watching a family with an infant daughter, who turns out to be baby Rose—Dean and Jamie's daughter, who Jamie gave up for adoption to keep her safe from the hunting life/Jamie's imminent death. She swears Cas to secrecy, and asks him to check on Rose from time to time after she's gone. Cas agrees.

113: HUNTERI HEROICI

The brothers and Cas work a job together with interesting and humorous results in between the harder moments. Cas sees John Winchester's journal, which Alex kept after her dad's disappearance and death, and it triggers a hard moment for him. So hard in fact, he begins to contemplate taking drastic action to change reality. Cas goes to a liquor store, wanting to drink it all to cope. It's there that he meets two strangers who are young twenties or late teens. One of them looks a lot like him, the other a lot like Alex. The male says that Cas from the future sent him back with a message: stay put, wait it out, and know that it's going to be okay. Don't try to time travel or anything to save Alex. Cas slowly realizes that these strangers are his and Alex's son and daughter.

114: IN PLAIN SIGHT

Sam tries very hard to tell Cas and Dean what he feels on some kind of spiritual or soul-deep plane: that Alex is still out there. Dean turns this around to bash his brother again over his disloyalty. Sam refuses to believe Alex is dead, because he insists something doesn't feel right, he didn't witness it, there's no body, and he simply cannot bring himself to believe it. Dean then blames Sam for her death, and he leaves possibly for good, too angry and hate-filled to stay. Cas finds Dean a few days later, holed up and drunk somewhere. Cas says he heard a distress signal from Samandriel that day, and is afraid Crowley has him. Dean begins to notice Cas is a bit off at this point. Together, the two of them track down Kevin to his secret houseboat location, trying to get a lead on Crowley's location from him. Sam turns back up and he was looking for Zip the past few days… apparently Sam wants to go to Purgatory and find out if Alex really is dead or not. Jamie is poofed over by Cas, since they need a witch to help locate Crowley. The group goes later to the location they find, but the second they rescue Samandriel, Cas kills him—after being told to do so by Naomi. At this point, the reader is shown the initial agreement that happened between Naomi and Castiel—the angel pulled them both out of Purgatory, and is keeping Alex hostage until Castiel "does what he is told" by Naomi. She coaches his replies to Sam and Dean, when they see him kill Samandriel. They both begin to suspect something is up with him. The Winchesters try to move past it, and both hunt down Zip with Jamie as well, trying to get back into Purgatory. A week later, they are eluded by the Leviathan. And then, they meet their grandfather, Henry Winchester. After an intense adventure, he is killed in their time. The brothers share an emotional moment reflecting over their lives as they bury him. Dean and Jamie continue a dysfunctional relationship of sorts.

115: THE LIBRARIAN

We are introduced to a new character: Molly Ziegler. She works at the Topeka Kansas library, and is by all accounts a very prim, self-conscious, shy, socially awkward, easily overwhelmed, and introverted young lady. She's late on her way to work, and flustered completely. She gets caught up in a fiasco involving a Golem, and is faced with with a familiar person named… Sam. We are slowly revealed that Molly and Sam had a hookup a year and a half ago Vegas, only she lied to him about her name. They are reconnected by chance, and their chemistry remains.

116: WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

This is the second half of chapter 115, with the adventure concluding and more flashbacks of Sam/Molly, as well as Molly meeting Dean (who doesn't like mousy Molly much). Jamie is also along for the adventure.

117: REALITY CHECK

The final part of the Molly chapters. The Golem debacle is wrapped up. Sam and Molly are very drawn to each other… but she feels like she doesn't belong in the kind of life he lives, and he of course doesn't feel worthy of a real relationship.

118: IT'S A BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY

We are shown Castiel's most important Heavenly mission: killing Dean Winchester. And Sam, too. Naomi has him practcing on copies, preparing for the day when this will really happen. Meanwhile on earth, Jamie has disappeared again, and the reader knows that it's her soul deal day. But Dean knows nothing, as she hasn't told him. He learns about it from the news, because Jamie jumps off a bridge to kill herself before the hounds can get her.

At this point, the Winchesters know about the trials detailed by the tablet that will close the hellgates forever. And Sam wants to complete them. He knows he may not survive the endeavor. Meanwhile, Cas revisists a park he and Alex went to together. He is surprised to see he has left himself clues and messages about her still being alive, but he doesn't remember that he left them, since the mind control is so powerful. He keeps trying to save her, to no success. Naomi has taken her memory and voice, and she doesn't understand what is happening. A couple weeks later, the brothers find locations of Lucifer's old crypts, an important break in the job of getting the trials taken care of. Meg helps. Cas finds the angel tablet in this crypt, but Naomi wants the tablet and attempts to control the situation. She tells him to kill Dean, and he begins to try, even while on the Heavenly plane he's battling for Alex's life. Cas finally gains the upper hand by pulling out the implant that's been controlling his mind—beaming into Heaven—and pulling Alex out of there and back to earth. However… she doesn't remember anyone, not even her brothers.

119: PUZZLE PIECES

Immediately after the rescue, Alex is confused, the brothers are shocked she's alive, and they have to proceed with haste as everyone is after the angel tablet. Outside of the crypt, Crowley waits, holding Meg hostage. They escape narrowly, and return to the Bunker: a massive complex that their grandfather showed them a month or two ago. Alex and the brothers have interesting interactions with her not remembering them. Cas has to leave to take care of some things.

120: HALLELUJAH

Twenty-four hours out of Heaven and it's dead of night. Alex is looking through photos that Sam gave her of her life, hoping they jog her memory. Cas shows up, finally. They have a long, cautious conversation and he tells her that when he lost his memory, a kiss brought it back. They try it, and it works… Alex remembers. They quickly catch up, including a roll in the sheets. Their pillow talk includes Cas telling her about the tablets, and how he feels he has created the disaster that is happening in Heaven. They agree for starters that Cas will protect the angel tablet from Heaven, Crowley, and anyone else who would use it for foul reasons. He then has to leave. Alex then thinks on her soul deal which is still going to be up soon. She decides she will fix the brothers breakfast in the morning and surprise them with her remembering herself, and maybe even share with them about the soul deal—but there's no food in the pantry or fridge, so she leaves the bunker to go to the store. That's where Crowley surprises her and says he is taking her soul tonight—she isn't going to pull any more disappearing acts. And then the hounds come for her.

121: UNDERWORLD OVERTURE

The next day, the brothers are confused about how Alex got out. They think she still doesn't know who she is, so they're worried. Kevin calls, begging for help and saying Crowley is in his head. He also says he translated the second trial to close hell from the tablet: an innocent soul must be rescued from Hell and delivered into Heaven. Dean's first thought is Jamie. And he suggests getting Meg's help, too. Meanwhile, Alex is in Hell, and it has already been ages, or felt that way anyway. Crowley comes to her and asks for her to torture souls, she attempts to threaten him, but he assures her that no one can rescue her. It took ten angels to pull Dean out, for example. He then remarks she needs a cellmate, and a few moments later, a bloody man is shoved in. Alex is shocked to realized it's John Winchester. Their reunion is strange, tense, and painful. Back on earth, Sam and Dean find Meg and tell her they need her help with closing the Hellgates and navigating Hell. She has to be talked into it, and Sam says he is going without Dean, end of story. Dean goes to check on Kevin, and gets jumped by Zip, who apparently is now staying with Kevin more frequently. Dean realizes in the ensuing interaction, that Zip is attracted to Kevin. The chapter ends with John and Alex being approached by an unfamiliar demon named Lola, who is red-haired and says she has something important to tell them.

122: HELLRAISERS

On Kevin's houseboat, the angel Naomi appears to Dean. She says she was doing what had to be done with the Cas/Alex situation, which Dean hates of course. Naomi says to Dean that Cas is on the run with a bomb—the angel tablet—and she tries to convince Dean not to let him have it or keep it. Later, Dean goes to meet with Sam and Meg, who return and say they could not find Jamie, but ended up delivering Rufus to Heaven instead. They return to try and find Kevin, and Zip has been killed protecting him. Kevin was taken, probably by Crowley. Dean then receives a call from none other than Bobby Singer, who has been resurrected. Crowley made good on his end of the deal, although Bobby doesn't know that. Meanwhile in Hell, Alex, John, and Lola are planning an escape. Lola is a demon who fell onto Crowley's bad side, and has been locked up because of it. She wants to escape, and knows the Winchesters are resourceful, so has suggested a team effort. John is very cautious, but Alex is opportunistic. Back at the bunker, Sam and Dean are peppering Bobby with questions as to how he's back, and Bobby doesn't know. Sam begins to get physically sick as he continues onward with the trials, and he says he thinks he is being purified. They meet an angel named Metatron, the Scribe of the Word. Meanwhile Cas is hiding in a timeloop, keeping the tablet hidden. Naomi wises up to his trick though, and kills everyone in one instance of time, forcing him to stop. She captures him, and tries to torture the location of the tablet from him. He refuses. Then Crowley appears. He also attempts to get the tablet location from Cas, using Alex's current predicament as leverage. Cas is livid when he learns Alex is in Hell. Crowley figures out Cas has put the tablet into his own body, and tears it out then leaves. Cas escapes, barely alive with a gaping stomach wound, and crash lands himself into the Winchesters path in Kansas. They are shocked but he tells them to be quiet, this is where it happened, and Alex is in Hell. He then disappears and they begin to make sense of the situation to their dismay. A few moments later, Cas drags Alex up and out of the ground. And with her… John Winchester.

123: THE NEW TESTAMENT

Castiel is unconscious, charred, and burnt—John is in similar condition. They drag everyone back to the Bunker and after some conversation, the brothers attend to John and Alex attends to Cas. She stitches him closed and he awakens a bit after. A flashback is shown to show the rescue from Hell, as Alex and Cas lay on a bed in the Bunker together, thankful the other is alive. Cas's wound however is very bad, and he can't heal himself. They talk over the soul deal, which Cas is extremely upset about. They are both extremely filthy, and wash off together—Alex now seeing that she has handprints on her from where Cas raised her from Hell. Alex suggests he touches her soul to heal himself, but he is afraid to and says he won't. They spend more time together, resting, and they end up kissing, getting hot and bothered, and having very careful sex—toward the end, Alex keeps asking him and then insisting he touch her soul. He finally does, and the climax happens at this point too. Neither knows it at that second, but they conceive in this moment. Later, Alex has nightmares of Hell, but Cas soothes her.

124: UNSTABLE GROUND

Dean is at his Dad's side. John is still unconscious. This is quite an emotional moment for Dean, who is confused about his feelings towards his father. He and Alex catch up a bit in the morning after Dean waits all night for John to wake, which he doesn't. None of the Winchesters know how they feel about John being alive again. It's difficult to process. Sam continues to try and figure out the last trial: Cure a Demon. He is feeling worse and worse. Alex is having a monsterous appetite that is not normal, but no one thinks much of it at the time. Dean meanwhile tries to convince Cas to either go to Hell for him, or drop him off down there so he can try to get Jamie out. Cas can't so soon after his near-death experience there. Dean is panicking because if Hell closes forever, she is trapped there for eternity. There doesn't seem to be an alternative.

125: WHERE THE HEART IS

Cas tells Alex about meeting their children as young adults as they pore over research in the Bunker. This is big news to Alex, who isn't sure how she feels about being a parent someday. Cas talks her through it, and Sam brings in an old film reel, saying he found it in the Men of Letters files under demonic possessions. Sam and Cas have an important conversation. Alex continues to have odd cravings and has some emotional imbalances too. Meanwhile, Dean visits Jamie's grave they put up just outside the bunker, deciding he has to say goodbye, and let fate be fate.

126: BACK TO BUSINESS

The Winchesters settle in to watch the film reel, which shows a dual exorcism of a random demon. After the exorcism, it's clear it was not to expel the demon, but to kill it completely. The Winchesters are stumped: they've never seen this method before. One of the priests who performed the ritual is still alive in St. Louis upon further investigation, and they decide to go ask some questions. Dean says Alex needs to stay put, since Naomi is still out there and Crowley will be angry she was taken out of Hell. It's safer to stay. While the boys are gone, Cas and Alex find a strange dungeon room that has, among other things, a demon-warded strait-jacket. Bobby comes into the Bunker later, and he/Alex have a reunion. He knows about her selling her soul. She says it was worth it. Bobby tells her he's now the proud owner of a Winnebago. He says the Bunker isn't quite his style, and he has some libraries out there he needs to recover. In the meantime, he helps out with research.

127: THE SCRIBE

Cas and Alex go to a gas station in search of snacks. This is where they are approached by Metatron. He says he knows them both, that Kevin mentioned them to him. He says he and Cas are alike. He tells them how Heaven is leaderless and in shambles. He says they have to shut down Heaven, because the civil wars will spill onto earth given much more time. Since they are interested in not having more angels making their lives horrible, they listen to him. Cas goes to speak further with Metatron, and Alex returns to the Bunker.

128: THE SOLDIER

Sam is looking sicker by the hour. They watch another reel they have gotten, where a demon is brought back to being a human. Dean suggests they test this out on a demon. Meanwhile, Cas and Metatron speak over brunch. Metatron aims to convince Cas to do the angel trials to "close Heaven for good." After checking with Alex that she's agrees and is okay with him going to complete these tasks, Cas gets to work completing them. Metatron takes him to a woman named Jane, then tells him the first task: cut out the heart of a Nephilim. Jane is one of them. She looks human. When Cas is shocked and appalled and refuses, Metatron reminds him it's basically either this, or Alex is forever unsafe.

129: THE QUEEN, THE KING, THE PAWNS

The Winchesters have captured the demon Abaddon, cutting off her hands and head too in an attempt to keep her from outsmarting them. Abaddon was single-handedly responsible for the extinction of the original Men of Letters. She arrived in the present through time travel in her hunt for Henry Winchester. Meanwhile, Cas tries to complete his task of killing the Nephilim. However, he can't. That's when Metatron tells him what he hasn't noticed: Alex is pregnant. Their child will be a Nephilim. When Cas realizes this is in fact true, and that he doesn't need to just protect Alex from Heaven but his child too, he goes and kills Jane despite the self-loathing he feels for doing it.

130: INTERLUDE

Cas seeks comfort from Alex for what he has done. She of course understands having to do horrible things to benefit the greater good. Cas tries to tell Alex about her pregnancy, but doesn't know how to. She gets physically sick, puking. Sam thinks it must be his trial sickness causing her to resonate. Alex blames some tunafish. Cas doesn't know how to tell her.

131: LINE OF FIRE

The group follows up on a lead that Crowley gave them, finding that he has killed one of the people they saved years ago and is going to keep doing so until he the Winchesters stop.

132: GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Crowley is killing more people they've saved, the latest would-be victim being Sarah Blake. The Winchesters attempt to save her but Crowley still kills her. However, Cas raises her from the dead and spirits her to safety afterward. The Winchesters fight over whether to close Hell or give in to Crowley's demands to do nothing. Sam insists he will close Hell with or without Dean. Grudgingly Dean goes along with it. In a moment alone, Cas tells Alex she is pregnant to her mixed reactions. The brothers bring Crowley to an old church to cure him and hopefully complete the trials that way.

133: FOR I HAVE SINNED

Sam makes his confessions to purify his blood. Dean and Cas have to break off from the group to go see to the Heaven trials together as it's becoming more urgent. Alex remains with Sam and they share some bonding moments and she confesses she's pregnant. He's supportive and kind. Abaddon shows up and attacks them, and then tries to kill a half-cured Crowley. Alex finds she has superstrength thanks to her pregnancy, and can match Abaddon's strength. Sam lights her on fire with holy oil and she abandons her vessel. Crowley babbles nonsensically about being loved and wanting family. Sam, fearing he is near death, finally tells Alex about the visions Lucifer gave him, and asks her forgiveness. She doesn't think he did anything wrong. At the last moment at the last injection, Dean shows up and stops them, saying the trials will kill Sam if he doesn't stop. Sam doesn't seem to see why that's a problem, asking "so?" Dean and Alex lay their feelings on the line, and Dean says no matter what, they're in this together, forever. Sam agrees to stop the trials, and for a moment everything looks like it's going to be okay. Then Sam collapses, the angels fall, and Castiel is nowhere to be found. The chapter ends with Abaddon going to Hell and choosing a new vessel: Jamie Ward.

134: HEAVEN ON EARTH

Dean and Alex have rushed Sam to a hospital, and it looks like he doesn't have much chance of recovery. Castiel is still missing, and when Dean prays to him, he ends up bringing angry angels down on his family's head. One of them, calling himself Ezekiel, protects Dean and says he can help heal Sam. Castiel wakes up somewhere far away, and calls when he manages to find a phone—he gives them his location. Angels attack the hospital not long after, and in the chaos, Dean tells Alex to get out while she can—she heads for Cas's location. However, he's been kidnapped by the angry angel Hael. He ends up killing her later, but is now lost and must find a way to survive on his own. Dean allows "Ezekiel" to possess Sam to heal him, and helps the angel trick his brother into saying yes.

135: NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Alex tracks Cas down after a week's time—he's been trying to earn money for a bus ticket at a church program. The brothers are back at the Bunker—their dad has disappeared. When Cas and Alex return to the Bunker, Ezekiel tells Dean he won't stay because of the danger Cas presents. So Dean kicks his sister and brother-in-law out to save Sam. Crowley, who is imprisoned in the basement along with Meg, attempts to talk Dean into letting him out in exchange for Jamie out of Hell. Dean resists… barely.

136: WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING

About two months later, Cas and Alex have been living in an apartment and working normal jobs, and preparing for parenthood as much as they can and sharing many sweet moments along the way. Alex is missing the old life, and not speaking to Dean.

137: STATE OF GRACE

The brothers arrive to a bar where some kind of mass murder has taken place and find Cas and Alex there, apparently hitting the road and hunting together again. They go elsewhere to catch up, and Cas has beer for the first time. Ezekiel, when given a moment alone with Dean, expresses his anger at Cas's proximity and tells Dean to end it now. Dean snaps back, and Ezekiel goes outside in a huff. There he meets Metatron, who knows who he really is: Gadreel, the angel who let the serpent into the garden. Metatron offers him a chance to redeem himself to "the new god" by joining forces. Gadreel isn't sure. The Winchesters part ways shortly after. That night, Dean gets a panicked phone call from a familiar voice… Jamie.

138: THE WITCHING HOUR

Dean drops everything to go rescue Jamie, who claims to have woken up in the middle of nowhere without knowing why. He's overjoyed, and doesn't check to make sure it's really her. A few moments into the trick, Abaddon reveals herself and begins to knock him around and make fun of him, then tells him she's going to wipe his entire family off the map… including his daughter. This is news to Dean, whose world stops. Jamie manages to somehow hold Abaddon back for a moment, then tells Dean to run. He does. He returns to the Bunker in a state of mania, telling Sam and Kevin what's happened and he needs to know how to exorcise a Knight of Hell without hurting or killing the body. When Sam and Kevin tell him to calm down, Dean storms into the basement where Crowley and Meg are, and in an act of temporary insanity, he breaks them out to help him find Abaddon and exorcise her.

139: INSIDE JOB

Sam calls Alex and Cas once he realizes what's happened and they try to hunt Dean down. A few days later, Dean calls them with his location. They've captured Abaddon and Crowley is still in restraints. They haven't been able to exorcise her, as they need an angel to do that. Dean pulls Sam/Ezekiel aside, and Ezekiel says if he does this, it will weaken him and Sam immensely. Dean says to just do it, and creates a distraction by letting Crowley go and then attacking Meg like she did it. Ezekiel exorcises Abaddon behind everyone's backs. Everyone is suspicious, and Cas realizes there must be an angel in someone there—Ezekiel then wipes everyone's memories of it and tells Dean this is his fault. Jamie is not doing well, and has lost consciousness so Dean rushes her to a hospital. Outside, Alex lets Meg go. Abaddon raises herself in her original vessel, and Dean stays at Jamie's bedside, wondering if Abaddon was telling the truth about a daughter or not.

140: TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL

Alex and Cas have moved into the Bunker for the time being since Dean is gone. Alex notices Sam's odd behavior and secretly tests to see if he's a shifter, demon, or ghoul but everything comes up normal. Cas learns that he can use another angel's Grace to becoming powered up again, and he will most likely need to so that he can protect Alex and heal her if her labor and delivery doesn't go well. Dean comes to the Bunker again to get some things, and while there, he fights with Alex, who is unhappy with his rash decisions. Ezekiel sneaks out of the Bunker where Metatron is waiting for his answer. Gadreel says yes, and Metatron gives him a name on paper that he's instructed to kill to prove his loyalty. The name is Alex's. Gadreel goes back in filled with dread to carry out the task, and lures Alex to a secluded part of the Bunker asking for some advice. Once there, he attacks her, but he can't follow through. Alex fights back, and thanks to her super strength, follows him when he runs and pins him down on the ground. Gadreel evacuates the vessel at that point, running away and leaving a confused Sam and the occupants of the Bunker coming to see a strange scene. Dean realizes what's happened and must admit what he allowed to happen. Cas hits Dean in anger, shaking him and saying that he's allowed his pregnant sister to be attacked. This is how Dean learns of the pregnancy. Alex is angry at her brother's absurdly risky decisions lately, and tells him to leave and not come back. He does. Meanwhile in the Garden of Eden, Lucifer in the body of Adam Milligan has escaped the Cage thanks to Metatron's spell, which cracked the Cage all the way down in Hell.

141: AND THE CRADLE WILL ROCK

Sam, Cas, and Alex try to figure out what angel it was who possessed Sam to no avail. Cas shows Sam how to get an angel warding tattoo and advises him to do so in order to not be repossessed by the same angel. The three of them work together to get Cas his power back by stealing another angel's grace, then he says he needs to go out and do some work on his own to find allies and learn more about Metatron's plans. Alex and Sam stay at the bunker. Meanwhile Dean is waiting with Jamie, who is in a coma. Crowley comes to him and tells him about the First Blade, which will kill Abaddon. Dean jumps at the chance, and the demon and hunter go off to find it. They meet Cain, who gives Dean his Mark, which is required to use the blade. The Blade is somewhere hidden at the bottom of an ocean, and Crowley must go find it. Sam and Alex get word that Linda Tran, Kevin's mom, is being held somewhere and not dead as thought. Kevin overhears and demands to come along. They manage to rescue her from the demons holding her, then bring her to the safety of the Bunker with them. Meanwhile Dean is back with Jamie, still braindead by the looks of it, waiting Crowley's return. He's depressed, fearing Jamie is gone forever. Cas appears to him then, and with his angelic powers back, heals Jamie. Once she's awake again, Dean urgently tells her what Abaddon said about their daughter, and asks her to confirm that this daughter really exists. Jamie says yes, her name is Rose, and she gave her up for adoption. Dean says they need to go now, because she's definitely in danger. They leave immediately to go find and hopefully save her. Meanwhile Sam leaves the Bunker and goes to town and breaks up with Molly for her safety, and they're both heartbroken over it. He gets his angel ward tattoo afterward. Even as this happens, Lucifer is slowly gaining strength and has plans to make this year, which is 2014 just as predicted, the year where he uses his true vessel to put his plans back on the map. In a secretive way, Lucifer begins to kill off weakened angels on earth so they can't present a challenge to him later. Lastly, Gadreel returns to Metatron in another vessel. He's given his next kill command: Dean Winchester.

142: EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN

Jamie and Dean find Rose's adoptive parents/home and it has recently burned. It's still a crime scene. They fear Rose was in there and is now dead. As they leave, they're attacked by demons and Dean brutally kills them thanks to the effects of the Mark. He and Jamie argue, and it escalates due to the Mark, and Dean hits her. She says she's leaving, but then they get a call from Crowley who gives instructions on where to find the First Blade and says where to find Abaddon as well. Jamie and Dean go find the blade, then are called by Abaddon, who says she has their child. They know it has to be a trap but rush either way to the location. Once there, Abaddon pins them to a wall—Crowley is prisoner too—then she shows them their baby who is nearby in a portable playpen. This is Dean's first time seeing his daughter. Dean breaks Abaddon's hold, takes out the blade, and then kills her, stabbing her repeatedly until Jamie and Rose startle him out of his trance. Father meets daughter, and it's emotional/beautiful. They go down to the car, then Dean reluctantly says he probably needs to go rescue Crowley or kill him, he'll decide which when he's up there. However once he's up there and has freed Crowley, Gadreel appears and kills Dean, then leaves as quickly as he came. Crowley puts the first blade into Dean's hand, raising him as a demon, and the two of them disappear, leaving Jamie and Rose to not know what happened.

143: LIGHTS, CAMERA, WAR!

Jamie returns to the Bunker with a baby no one knew about, and tells everyone about how Dean disappeared. Sam and Alex summon Cas, who attempts to help, but cannot locate Dean. They also summon Meg, who says she'll poke around. The twins go on the road, trying to find their brother. Meg finally finds footage of him robbing a convenience store and assaulting an employee. She finds receipts from a specific bar, and the Winchesters go there with Meg, finding Dean singing karaoke without a care in the world. They soon learn that he's a demon, and he tells them if they bother him again, he'll kill them. They return to the Bunker with broken spirits. Jamie leaves Rose in Mama Tran's care and goes after Dean herself, finding him and trying to appeal to him. It doesn't work and they have a physical altercation which ends in her locking him inside of a mausoleum and pissing him off. Later, Sam gets a call from Gadreel, who says he has Molly. Sam runs to try and save her, and when Gadreel tries to repossess him, Sam kills him. Metatron shows up and takes Molly for the fun of seeing Sam freak out. Molly is kept in Heaven in Metatron's study for a few days, where she tries to see what she can learn. She witnesses Lucifer come into the study and kill Metatron later, and Lucifer tells her to tell everyone that he's back, then sends her back to earth. Lucifer puts his plan into motion, undoing Metatron's spell and slaughtering the angels who return to Heaven when he does so. In Hell, the demon Lola slaughters demons who aren't Lucifer-faithful. And so it begins: 2014 will always be the devil's year.

144: FLY BY NIGHT

Sam and Molly reunite and she tells him what she saw. Sam calls an emergency meeting with Bobby, Alex, and Cas. They debate if this is legitimate or not, unsure how Lucifer could truly be back or not. Molly has to move into the Bunker for now for her safety, even though she and Sam are broken up at this point. Sam decides he needs to do something about demon Dean, and he/Cas go to find him. Alex is too pregnant at this point to go along. Crowley learns about Lucifer, and abandons the carefree/useless demonic Dean to try and re-secure his place as King of Hell. Cas and Sam find Dean and attempt to subdue him, but Sam is injured and demonic Dean slashes Cas in a way that depletes his Grace. They retreat, defeated and return to the Bunker. Sam and Molly reconcile that night over his wounds and the close call. Alex tells Cas she thinks the baby will come soon, so he goes out and steals another angel's Grace. The next night, John Winchester shows up at the Bunker out of nowhere, and tells them he's doing the trials to close Hell. In his trunk, the final step in the trials, is Dean, waiting to be cured.

145: FULL CIRCLE

Dean is put in demon lockdown, and John says he'll begin curing him soon. He is cold and brusque in his treatment of everyone there. He picks a fight with Cas at one point, but this ends up leading to Alex and him having a small heart to heart. Later, demon Dean escapes and terrorizes/injures most of the Bunker inhabitants. When he attacks Alex, he sets off labor, and then he escapes. Alex gives birth on a hallway floor as her dad and Bobby chase Dean. CJ is born, a healthy baby boy. Alex and Cas are in love and completely taken by their son. John returns with Dean later, and begins to cure him. Alex and Sam remain present for the process, and Dean gives John the Mark of Cain later. Dean is cured after eight excruciating hours, and father/son both survive. Dean is left to cope with hard feelings about what happened, and he is ashamed to be seen by anyone. Jamie and Rose come to him later, and she extends a proverbial olive branch to him, supporting him. Rose babbles "da-da" nearby. Meanwhile, Crowley comes to Cas. He's abandoned Hell because it's so overrun by Lucifer loyalists. He proposes an alliance, and despite everything, the Winchesters and Cas agree.

146: THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, THE GLORY

Angels, demons, and hunters all join forces against the impending threat of Lucifer and the Croatoan virus. Dean, Sam, Alex, and John find some reconciliation within their family unit even as the world goes to shit around them. Just when they're out of ideas, they learn that Lucifer is close by in Kansas City. Sam stays with most of the women at the Bunker to be safe, and Dean leads to charge to Kansas City—but turns around ten minutes into leaving, realizing this sounds like a trick. Sure enough, Lucifer has set a distraction to get everyone out of the Bunker so he can claim his true vessel. The chapter ends with him blowing the doors to the Bunker off and slowly going inside.

147: EPILOGUE: THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE

A flashback of the day the twins were born opens the epilogue, and it's set against a fast-forward into the future of 2018, four years after the angel's fell and the contents of chapter 146. Alex is contemplating two gravestones. Her son is nearby, and brings flowers for the headstone, and asks if the stone means the person is dead forever. Alex picks him up and remembers the showdown with Lucifer. The Bunker was thrown into chaos when Lucifer entered. Alex got separated from everyone and is lost in the smoky tunnels with infant CJ strapped to her. She suddenly finds herself inexplicably holding The Colt. She makes her way into the main area of the Bunker where she finds multiple dead bodies. Sam, Dean, Cas, and her dad have survived, but just barely. Lucifer is there, and casually welcomes her. He goes on a mostly-monologue about how fate is unchangeable, Sam will eventually say yes, and 2014 has always been his year. He kills John in front of them all, then Dean and Cas too. Alex is waiting for the right moment. When it comes, she pulls the Colt out. Lucifer laughs, makes another speech. Then Alex shoots him. The bullets she used were melted down from Gabriel's blade, which he came to her and gave her, entrusting the job of killing Lucifer to her, but then wiping her memory of the interaction and creating a "trigger" that activates her memory at the right time. As soon as Lucifer is dead, Alex starts yelling at the ceiling inexplicably. That's when Gabriel shows up. After a torrent of angry accusations and Alex threatens him with the bullets she made (many more than one), Gabriel agrees to resurrect everyone and fix the situation Lucifer caused. He also reveals that Alex is his "horn"—the manner of which judgment day is announced. She's been meant since birth to kill Lucifer through Gabriel. The family is reunited and everyone is confused about what just happened. John will soon find the Mark too much to bear with people around, and he will go live the rest of his days in solitude to protect people from it.

Present day, Cas comes out to CJ and Alex at the gravesite. It's Mary's headstone, and Adam's is nearby too. Cas has their baby girl with him, Nova. She's near to a year old at this time. There's a sweet little scene of the family together, then Cas takes the kids inside as Alex waits for her brothers to arrive. They finally do and Dean announces they're going for a ride. The ride is reminiscent of their childhood and young adulthood. He finally brings them to a neighborhood, and they realize it's their old house. The one mom died in. They have a conversation about the things they've lost, their lives now, their reminicings. All in all, it's bittersweet. They know their old life is gone. A new one awaits.

The final scene of the story is of Chuck, completing his writing of the story Song Remains the Same: the story of Cas, Alex, the Winchesters. He puts the final manuscript into his heavenly library which contains trillions of stories of humans across the dimensions and realities. He then goes back to the moment where Dean asks Sam to come along with him and Alex to find Dad in 2004. Chuck then compares it against the same moment in another dimension. A dimension where Alex doesn't exist. He reflects on stories and characters, then takes a copy of the Song Remains the Same book and puts it in Cas and Alex's heaven to wait for them there. The story ends.