TEASER

EXT. EMPTY. NIGHT.

The final “Don’t you cry no more...” echoes to silence as we pick up where the previous episode left off. 3/4 of Team Free Will 2.0 stare down the Empty in the form of their missing fourth.

Dean, still covered in blood and dirt, glares at Empty!Castiel with a mix of hatred and horror. Sam, still slightly bloody from the fight with Lucifer, holds Dean by the arm. Jack stares brokenly at Empty!Castiel, his mouth open sadly.

The Empty keeps its distance.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(clapping hands together)

Well, well, well. Mortals! What are you three doing out here, disrupting the... cosmic order?

DEAN

What the hell are you? Where's Cass--what the hell did you do to him?

EMPTY!CASTIEL

We had a deal, I kept it. He’s dead. Just like I promised.

(snaps its fingers, remembering something.)

Ah!

Waving a demonstrative hand, it begins walking towards them as it says:

EMPTY!CASTIEL

But I’m being a terrible host! You don’t know how things work here, in the Empty--you human mortals, with your souls. Why would you? Of course!

It gives them another unnatural smile, this one almost pained.

SCREECH! Something makes a HORRIBLE SOUND--instantly cut off by the Empty waving its hand.

The Empty takes a deep breath, collecting itself.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Tell me. When you humans die, what happens to your souls?

SAM

We go to Heaven and relive our happiest memories.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(snaps fingers)

Yes. Precisely. Well, out here in the Empty, things work a little differently... See, God steals all the best memories for Heaven. Angels, demons, reapers, when they die, they come here. And if they have no regrets when they come to the Empty, well, they’ve got no problem. Peaceful sleep, forevermore. But... if they do have regrets, well...

The Empty shrugs exaggeratedly.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

That’s what they relive here in the Empty. Over and over and over... For ever and ever and ever. Long after God is dead and gone, and Heaven crumbles, and Hell freezes over, long after your universe shrivels up and dies... they’ll still be dreaming.

Cut to wide shot. They’re tiny in the endless darkness. The Empty gestures back behind itself, into the expanse.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

And he’s one of them now.

JACK

Castiel?

The Empty turns on Jack with a smile of undisguised loathing. For a second we hear another SCREECH--and the ground below their feet undulates, as if there is something under the surface, thrashing, trying to break free--

Then the Empty raises its hand again, and everything stops. The men regain their balance.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Yes. He is.

The Empty looks at Dean.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

You know that this, all this, is your fault, don’t you...?

Tight on Dean, shocked.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

...Nephilim? Your fault.

As the Empty addresses Jack, its eyes slide to him.

JACK

I know. I know it’s my fault. I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Death told me...

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(condescending, on the verge of laughing)

No... no, no, no. I don’t think you understand just how badly you messed things up out here.

JACK

What?

Empty!Castiel SNAPS its fingers.

The Empty EXPLODES.

A cacophony of SCREECHING, WAILING, SHRIEKING--they are surrounded on all sides by bodies, as far as the eye can see, all of them writhing and thrashing, SCREAMING at the NOISE, THE NOISE, THE NOISE--Sam, Dean, and Jack all clap their hands over their ears, trying to block it out--

SEASON 15 TITLE CARD

Flash to, in quick cascading succession (.5 seconds each)--SEASON 14 TITLE CARD - SEASON 13 TITLE CARD--SEASON 12 TITLE CARD--SEASON 11--SEASON 10--SEASON 9--SEASON 8--SEASON 7--SEASON 6--SEASON 5--SEASON 4--3--2--1--CUT TO BLACK.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

ACT ONE

EXT. THE EMPTY. NIGHT.

THE NOISY EMPTY--Beings SCREAM.

Everyone in the Empty is on their feet now. An overwhelming throng, all the way to the horizon, all too consumed with their own agony to notice anyone else.

At the center of the mob stand Sam, Dean, Jack, and Empty!Castiel. Sam and Dean cover their ears, hunched over, faces screwed up. Jack looks around in horror. The Empty has its arms folded and is glaring at Jack.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

You did this! You woke them up. All of them.

JACK

Everyone?

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(threatening hiss)

All the ones with regrets.

The Empty SNAPS its fingers and the screeching fades down to a more bearable listening level. Sam and Dean take their hands down and look around, dazed.

SAM

(to the Empty)

Look. We came here for a reason. And it wasn’t to bother you. We just needed someplace to make a plan--where Chuck couldn’t hear us.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(incredulous, as if talking to audience)

Don’t want to 'bother me'--he doesn’t want to bother me.

(to Sam, fake polite)

Oh, well by all means. Come right in.

(snapping back to aggressive)

You’re not supposed to be here. You’re mortals. Where is the respect for the cosmic order?

SAM

We don’t need your help. We just need somewhere quiet.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(breathless fake surprise)

You want quiet? Wow--so do I! We should--gosh, I don’t know,it sounds like we want the same thing, maybe we could--work together? And I’ve got plenty of folks here who would love to help you out too.

The Empty SNAPS its fingers viciously. Out of the crowd steps a familiar figure--Dean, dressed in black with a familiar cap. APOCALYPSE MICHAEL.

Sam pulls Dean back, and Jack steps forward protectively.

MICHAEL!DEAN

Hey there. You fellas miss me?

Michael!Dean feints towards real Dean as if to take a shot, but then he dissolves, laughing, back into the black surface.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

No? Maybe another old friend?

The crowd parts and someone emerges--ALISTAIR. Tight on Dean’s reaction.

Alistair smiles at him.

ALISTAIR

Dean, Dean, Dean. Long time no see. You haven’t changed a bit.

Dean’s jaw clenches and unclenches.

DEAN

(low)

You stay away from me.

Empty!Castiel pantomimes answering a phone. Dean looks at it.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Oh. Someone else on the line for you...

Dean turns back to where Alistair was. He’s gone. In his place--

MEG

Hi there, boys.

SAM

Meg.

MEG

Good to see you. I’m so glad I let Crowley kill me just to buy a little time for you two and Cass to escape. And now, after all that, he’s down here too.

DEAN

All demons come here when they die.

(Behind Dean, Sam looks around, as if nervous Crowley is going to pop up behind them.)

MEG

I was talking about Cass.

Dean’s face hardens. Meg steps closer.

MEG

You let me die for you. You let Crowley die for you. And then, last but not least, you let Cass die for you. Was it worth it, Dean?

Dean leans away from her, lip twitching, saying nothing.

MEG

(voice low)

I bet that keeps you up at night, doesn’t it?

(when he doesn’t answer)

Good.

Meg dissolves and vanishes.

Dean, silent, looks stricken. Sam rounds on Empty!Castiel.

SAM

I think that’s enough.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Really? I think you have someone who wants to talk, actually.

Sam turns to see--RUBY.

SAM

Ruby.

He stares at her.

SAM

Ruby, I--

RUBY

(interrupting)

Did Castiel send you guys?

Not the question Sam was expecting. He’s thrown.

SAM

Uh... Cass?

RUBY

What do you mean, “Uh, Cass?”? Castiel and I have a deal. I gave him the Occultum. In exchange, he’s going to get me out of here.

The Empty smiles, shaking its head. Silly kids.

SAM

Sorry, Ruby, but Cass is dead. And that’s not why we’re here.

RUBY

But we--we had a deal.

SAM

I’m sorry.

RUBY

No. You have to take me with you when you go. You have to.

SAM

We can’t. That’s not what we’re here for...

RUBY

(with rising hysteria)

You son of a bitch. You backstabbing sons of bitches. We had a deal--we had a deal! Take me with you, you have to, you have to!

Her voice has risen to a SCREAM. She lunges at Sam--as soon as her fists make contact with his chest, she dissolves.

Sam breathes heavily, staring at where Ruby was. The Empty turns to Jack.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

I bet you’d like to talk to Castiel, right?

JACK

Can I?

EMPTY!CASTIEL

No.

Jack looks crestfallen. Sam puts his hand on Jack’s shoulder and steps towards the Empty.

SAM

All right, that’s enough!

The Empty shrugs.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Fine, fine. Whatever you want. Quiet place to talk? Fine. Here you go.

In an instant, everyone around them vanishes and silence falls again. No snap--we simply cut to a wide, empty shot. Just them in the middle of the void.

SAM

Okay. Thank you.

(to Dean and Jack)

We need to make a plan to take down Chuck. This is the only place we can do it without him overhearing and outmaneuvering us.

DEAN

Yeah. I got that. So lay it on me. What did you guys come up with?

Jack and Sam look at each other.

JACK

Well, nothing.

Dean looks incredulous.

DEAN

Fantastic. Two months of research, and “Go to the Empty”--that’s your big plan.

Empty!Castiel laughs to itself. Dean rounds on it.

DEAN

And you, you think this is funny?

JACK

(to Empty!Castiel)

You could help us. You were helping Billie.

DEAN

Yeah. 'Cause that worked out great.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(nodding)

That’s true, that’s true. I was helping Death. And I do hate God.

SAM

So help us. We can work together.

DEAN

(interrupting)

And what happens to you if there’s no Chuck?

Another exaggerated shrug from the Empty.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

It would certainly rearrange the cosmic order. No way to know how. Though I could speculate.

DEAN

(hostile)

Okay. All right. So speculate.

SAM

Dean.

DEAN

(to Sam, with attitude)

You’re seriously asking me to just trust this thing? Before we make another deal with another devil, I’d like to know what we’re getting into. That alright with you?

Sam holds up his hands in surrender. Head cocked, The Empty regards Dean with the bemusement of a kid looking at an unusual insect.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Fascinating. You think I would double cross you?

DEAN

Why wouldn’t you?

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(simply)

Because you don’t matter to me.

Oof. Dean blinks. Then he exchanges a look with Sam.

DEAN

Fair enough. So tell us. What happens to the cosmic order without God?

EMPTY!CASTIEL

God is the reason souls go to Heaven. Without him, they won’t. No more ascending. No more descending, either. No more sorting at all.

SAM

Will they come here instead?

The Empty shrugs again.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Probably. That's the way it would have been, if God had never invented Heaven and Hell to entertain himself.

DEAN

And you would be controlling all this?

EMPTY!CASTIEL

No. I would be asleep.

(with another glare at Jack)

I should be asleep.

Jack folds his arms. So does the Empty.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(after a pause)

So no big ideas to take down God, huh? 'Cause I have an idea.

SAM

Do you?

The Empty is still making overly intense eye contact with Jack, who frowns back at it with narrowed eyes. Sam looks uneasily between them.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

You’re not going to like it.

SAM

Tell us.

The Empty finally looks at him.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Right now, your little Nephilim here is powered up from that bomb. The one you detonated out here. He’s like a power sponge. He sucks up life energy wherever he goes.

BEGIN FLASHBACK SEQUENCE:

15x18 – Plants around Jack die.

15x19 – Shrub outside gas station shrivels and dies.

15x19 - Jack powers up to fight Lucifer, and trees outside shrivel and die.

15x19 - The power of Lucifer’s death flows into Jack.

JACK

When Lucifer died...

SAM

...That’s how he was able to open the portal.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

He could, right now, suck the power out of God and the Darkness and drain them both.

DEAN

Well that’s just fantastic. What’s the catch?

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Well, opening that portal cost him a lot. He’s going to need a boost.

JACK

What kind of boost?

Empty looks faux thoughtful, drumming its fingers against its chin.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Oh, nothing much. Just one human soul should do the trick.

The men stare dramatically at each other. SKREE!

COMMERCIAL BREAK

ACT TWO

EXT. THE EMPTY. NIGHT.

Dean, Sam, Jack, and Empty!Castiel stand in the darkness discussing their plan.

DEAN

We’ll make Chuck think we’re doing the Cain and Abel thing, like what he wrote. We’ll lure him someplace and bring the Equalizer. Then, before we can use it, Jack will fly in, eat my soul, and use that power to blast Chuck and drain him.

JACK

I don’t like this plan.

SAM

Yeah, neither do I, Dean.

DEAN

You got a better suggestion? I’m listening.

SAM

I'm waiting on a suggestion that doesn't mean you die, Dean.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

(to Dean)

If you go through with this, you won’t go to Heaven, you know.

Dean looks at the Empty.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

If he absorbs your soul. You’ll just cease to exist, you won’t die. No Heaven.

Dean looks at the Empty for another beat, then:

DEAN

That was never in the cards for me.

Sam turns away, putting his hand on his mouth in distress. Dean looks at him.

DEAN

Sam. This is what we have to do. It’s the whole world, or it’s me. Ain’t no choice.

Sam turns back around, eyes full of tears.

SAM

What about me?

DEAN

It’s not gonna be you, Sam.

Sam turns and walks away, leaving Jack and Dean with the Empty. Empty!Castiel seems uninterested in the boy melodrama.

EMPTY!CASTIEL

Great. If we’re all agreed. Nephilim here can stay with me until it’s time.

Jack glares fiercely at the Empty.

JACK

(upset)

I would rather die.

DEAN

Whoa, okay. All right. Jack.

Dean takes Jack aside. They walk away a few steps, leaving Empty!Castiel alone.

JACK

I don’t want to kill you and swallow your soul. Cass wouldn’t want this. And I don’t trust... him.

They both look over at Empty!Castiel, who is staring into the void like he's already forgotten about them.

JACK

I can barely look at him.

(looking back at Dean)

Dean, please.

DEAN

I’m sorry, Jack. We have to. You’re the only one who can.

JACK

(on the verge of tears)

Why? Why do we have to?

DEAN

(voice drained of hope)

Cause we’re the guys who save the world.

"WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN" by Credence Clearwater Revival begins to play.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BUNKER - SAFEROOM. DAY.

Sam and Dean materialize in the wrecked saferoom.

EXT. THE EMPTY – SIMULTANEOUS

From behind, Jack and Empty!Castiel stand side by side in the dark. Empty!Castiel lowers his arm, which was raised to snap Sam and Dean back to Earth. Jack looks at Empty!Castiel, eyes huge and sad.

INT. BUNKER - SAFEROOM. DAY.

Sam looks at Dean, face defeated and angry.

Pull back through the room, through the destroyed sliding door and the fallen storeroom shelves.

INT. BUNKER – HALLWAY. DAY.

As the song plays, we move through the halls of the bunker, still soaked and stained.

INT. BUNKER – LIBRARY. DAY.

We reach the library, which is a wreck. Huge stains of ash cover the half-burned bookshelf, stretching up to the ceiling, and there’s water all over the floor. Broken lamps and burned husks of books litter the floor. There’s still blood on the middle table.

Sam enters the library and looks around, taking in the damage.

INT. BUNKER – BATHROOM – SIMULTANEOUS.

In the bathroom, Dean splashes water on his face, washing away the blood and ash and dirt. He stops, head bent, letting the water drip into the sink. After a moment, he glances up at his reflection. His eyes are red-rimmed and cold, dead.

BACK TO:

INT. LIBRARY - SIMULTANEOUS

In the library, Sam walks slowly to the bookshelf. He puts a hand on the ruined spines of the books. Then he takes one off the shelf.

INT. BUNKER – ARMORY – SIMULTANEOUS

Upstairs, in the doorway to the armory, Dean checks over his shoulder before going inside.

BACK TO:

INT. LIBRARY - SIMULTANEOUS

Down in the library, Sam opens an old book. Most of the pages are burned.

INT. BUNKER – ARMORY – SIMULTANEOUS

Upstairs, Dean opens the safe and pulls out the Equalizer. He checks that it’s loaded, then with one more glance at the door, closes the chamber, shuts the safe, and leaves the room.

BACK TO:

INT. LIBRARY - SIMULTANEOUS

Sam stands with the ruined book in his hands, eyes shut. BOOM--The bunker's front door closes. Sam looks up. The IMPALA’S ENGINE STARTS outside.

SAM

Dean!

EXT. BUNKER. DAY.

The Impala, driven by Dean, peels away down the driveway.

Sam bursts out of the Bunker’s front door, looking around. He sees Dean driving away, and shouts:

SAM

DEAN! DEAN, STOP!

He runs after the car, shouting and waving his arms. Too late.

EXT. HIGHWAY. DAY.

The Impala drives around a curve on an empty stretch of highway. The song continues. Tight on Dean through the front windshield, his face stony.

The curve straightens out, and the Impala drives straight on, past a sign that reads LAWRENCE – 100 MI.

INT. IMPALA. DAY.

Dean drives alone.

The SONG fades to an end.

Dean drives in silence. All we hear is the ENGINE.

TRANSITION TO:

EXT. IMPALA. DAY.

Tight on the Impala as Dean KILLS the engine, gets out, and SLAMS the door shut. We rise with him over the roof of the car to reveal--a cemetery. STULL CEMETERY.

EXT. STULL CEMETERY. DAY.

Standing on the other side of the stone wall, among the headstones and crosses, is CHUCK.

DEAN

Thought I might find you here.

CHUCK

It seemed like the right place to end the story, don’t you think?

DEAN

(resigned)

Maybe.

Dean walks under the arch and enters the cemetery. Chuck still keeps his distance, his posture relaxed and contemplative. He squints around the sunlit graveyard.

CHUCK

(half to himself)

This was the last place the story was any good, I think. It really got away from me after this.

(to Dean)

But no Sam? That seems wrong. That’s... asymmetrical.

DEAN

Sam stays out of this one.

Chuck nods sagely. He starts walking towards Dean.

CHUCK

You came to kill me yourself or die trying. Sam didn’t like that, so he stayed home. Is that it?

Dean works his jaw and doesn’t answer.

CHUCK

Come on, Dean. I know you’re not really happy to see me--that’s just the Equalizer in your pocket.

Dean narrows his eyes. Chuck stops, puts his hands in his pockets.

CHUCK

And what about my little grandson, Jack? Where’s your teenage mutant antichrist? Your not-so-secret weapon?

A beat, and then Dean says:

DEAN

Empty wouldn’t let him leave.

Chuck LAUGHS.

CHUCK

Ha! Wow. That’s rich. Oh! No, that’s tragic, actually.

(with disdain)

So Castiel’s whole deal, to save him, it was all for nothing?

(self-satisfied smirk)

Well. He never was the brightest.

Tight on Dean, silent and angry.

SLAM. A car door close by. Both Chuck and Dean turn in surprise.

SAM

(yelling angrily)

Dean!

Sam runs towards them.

Dean’s eyes close. He turns away from Sam angrily.

DEAN

Dammit, Sam! I told you to stay out of this.

Chuck does a fake pout. His whole air is condescending and relaxed--like he's got somewhere to be after this.

SAM

I’m not letting you do this, Dean!

Sam reaches the cemetery and runs under the arch.

CHUCK

So what’s this little melodrama?

SAM

(breathless)

We give up. We’re surrendering. We want to make a deal.

DEAN

No, Sam. That’s not what we’re doing.

CLICK. Dean pulls out the Equalizer and points it at Chuck.

Chuck raises his eyebrows. He’s being noticeably quiet.

SAM

Yes, it is. Chuck, you win. We want to make a deal. Bring everyone back, in exchange for our lives.

CHUCK

(shrug)

Okay. Sure, I’ll bite. What’s in it for me?

Dean still has the Equalizer pointed at Chuck.

DEAN

(angry)

Nothing--dammit, Sam, this is not what we agreed on!

SAM

We didn’t agree on anything, Dean! I’m not letting you do this by yourself!

Dean turns the gun on Sam.

DEAN

Back off, Sammy!

SAM

(brokenly)

Dean, no--

Chuck looks mildly impressed.

CHUCK

Wow. Just like Cain and Abel.

DEAN

(warning)

Sam...

Sam turns his head.

SAM

Jack, now!

With a WHOOSH of wind, a rift opens up in between Sam and Dean in the cemetery. The force of it pushes Sam, Dean, and Chuck backwards, knocking them each to the ground. The Equalizer flies out of Dean's hand and lands in the grass.

The portal closes.

Jack stands over Dean, who sits sprawled in the grass. Jack raises his hand, holding it in front of Dean’s forehead, his expression pained and his eyes lighting up white-gold. Dean’s eyebrows are low, his expression fiercely determined. He sits forward, grabs Jack’s wrist, and presses his hand to his forehead.

Dean’s eyes begin to light up.

Tight on Sam, panting in the grass nearby.

Tight on Chuck, watching with mild interest.

Tight on Jack, his eyes lighting up, his mouth frowning in disgust.

JACK

No. No. I don’t want to.

The light in Dean’s eyes dims. His expression turns from fierce to shocked.

DEAN

Jack! No!

(angrily)

We have to destroy Chuck!

Jack shakes his head. He relaxes his arm. Dean is still holding his wrist.

JACK

Not like this.

The light in Jack’s eyes goes out. Instantly, he goes flying.

DEAN

(yelling)

No!

Jack is suspended in midair, up against the trunk of a large, dead oak tree. He’s frozen.

Chuck is pointing at him with his left hand.

Chuck snaps his fingers with his right hand, and Sam freezes too, still sprawled on the ground.

Chuck LAUGHS.

CHUCK

It was a good show. It really was. You guys almost had me for a second there, with the Cain and Abel act.

He wags a finger at Dean, who is still sitting in the grass.

CHUCK

Or, you would have had me. Maybe. The thing is, Dean, I didn’t need to see you make your plan to know what you’ll come up with. A little double-blind, a little extra juice for toddler Jack.

Chuck walks slowly towards Dean. Dean watches him approach, despair dawning.

CHUCK

(low, taunting)

You can run as far away from me as you want... but you’ll never get away from me. Even if you go all the way to the Empty, there’s no plan you could ever come up with that I wouldn’t predict. I know everything you hate, everything you love, everything you fear. And I know how you think. I created you.

He’s standing over Dean now, who looks up at him from the ground, lip curled with disgust, eyes dead with hatred.

Suddenly Chuck jabs a finger at Sam again, and Sam writhes, CRYING OUT in pain.

Jack, pinned to the tree, is still frozen. His face twists as he struggles against the psychic bond.

Dean grits his teeth, watching Sam. He looks up at Chuck.

CHUCK

You know, I think I liked the little finale script you guys wrote for yourselves, even though it was a ruse. I might use a little of it myself.

(with finality)

There’s nothing left for you, Dean. You’ve lost everything. It’s over. Everyone who sacrificed themselves for you, they’re gone. Everyone you tried to save, they’re gone. The last thing left is this.

Tight on the Equalizer, lying in the grass near Dean.

CHUCK

(coaxing gently)

Do it, Dean. Just like you were gonna fake me out. Pick up the gun.

Dean, gritting his teeth, flips over. He crawls, jerkily, towards the gun.

DEAN

(strained)

Stop. You can’t--make me.

CHUCK

Come on, Dean. Do it for real.

Dean’s hand closes around the gun. Shakily, he climbs to his feet.

Sam writhes in the grass. Against his will, Dean walks towards him, and raises the Equalizer, pointing it at his brother.

CHUCK

“Against his will, Dean walked towards him, and raised the Equalizer, pointing it at his brother...”

Dean comes to stand over Sam, pointing the gun down at him. Sam stares up at him, unable to move.

CHUCK

It’s perfect. The ultimate killer, making the ultimate sacrifice.

Dean stares down the barrel of the gun at Sam.

Chuck watches, hands raised like a conductor in the symphony...

JACK

NO!

Jack, struggling, suddenly manages to move. With a gasp of shock, he falls to the ground.

Chuck looks around.

A shockwave reverberates through the air when Jack lands, and for a second, Dean and Sam are freed. And for a second, Chuck disappears--and AMARA stands in his place.

Dean sees her.

Chuck reappears. He rounds on Jack, who is standing up at the base of the tree.

CHUCK

(panting, trying to appear composed)

You... you’re just like your dad, aren’t you? Never know when to give up.

Jack raises his hands and, WHOOSH, blasts energy at Chuck. His eyes light up white-gold.

Chuck stumbles back, surprised by the force.

Jack steps forward, sending another blast. Again, Amara flickers into being.

DEAN

Keep going, Jack!

Chuck raises his hands and sends a blast out towards Jack.

Jack absorbs the shock, and BOOM, sends it back towards Chuck.

Chuck staggers back, looking genuinely shocked now.

JACK

You leave them alone.

From behind, SMACK, Dean pistol-whips Chuck. Taken by surprise, Chuck falls to his knees, and then Dean grabs him by the collar and shoves the Equalizer up under his chin.

DEAN

Listen to me. Jack’s a little power vacuum right now. He’s not strong enough to kill you. But every bolt you send, he absorbs. He gets stronger. So, I were you? I'd cut it out.

CHUCK

I’ll just kill him.

DEAN

(teeth gritted)

Try it.

He shoves the Equalizer up into Chuck’s chin. Chuck winces.

CHUCK

You can’t kill me.

DEAN

Wanna bet?

CHUCK

(nervous laughing)

Dean--Dean. Stop. You’ve got me where you want me, okay? You’ve made your point. I’ll fix it. I’ll put everyone back, okay? The whole world. Snap. Fixed.

Weakly, Chuck snaps to demonstrate.

CHUCK

I’ll bring everyone back, and you can walk away from this and live long, full lives. You'd like that, right? Finally freed from all the evil? You can retire. Settle down. Watch Sam get married--have lots of little nieces and nephews... And then when you die, you’ll go to Heaven, and be with your family.

Dean’s lip curls angrily. Chuck cringes.

DEAN

(furious)

You shut the hell up.

CHUCK

Just let me go.

DEAN

Fat chance.

Then Chuck flickers--and becomes Amara. Surprised, Dean loosens his grip slightly, but doesn’t let go.

AMARA

Dean... stop. You don't have to destroy us. You’ve fought enough. I know what you really want. And I can give it to you.

Dean stares at her.

AMARA

No more hunts, no more apocalypses, no more pain. You can have it. You can go to Heaven. You can rest. You don’t have to be a killing machine anymore.

She lifts a hand and strokes Dean’s face. He stares into her eyes.

AMARA

You can be at peace.

Dean’s tempted.

DEAN

(closing his eyes)

You’re right. I want that. I do. ...But my choices aren’t to die, or to be a killing machine. That’s not me.

(opening his eyes)

There’s a third choice. You know there is.

Dean lets go of Amara. He still holds the Equalizer as he speaks:

DEAN

People change. That's what we do. Sam and I, we've changed. Even though Chuck never wanted us to.

AMARA

I want to feel that.

DEAN

I know you do. But there can't be a new you until you destroy the old one.

Amara nods, looking at him intently. She almost smiles.

AMARA

Chuck always told me I was only good for one thing: destruction. But destruction is part of growth.

Dean nods.

DEAN

You know what you have to do.

Amara begins to glow from her hands and face. She lets go of Dean. Dean stumbles back, falling into the grass beside Sam.

"LAYLA" by Derek & the Dominos begins to play.

From above, we see Amara tip her head back. She glows white, then blue--then the light blinks out, and it’s just Chuck again, arms hugging himself, looking small and shocked.

He looks upward at the camera.

CHUCK

This wasn’t in the script.

He EXPLODES.

Dean and Sam shield their eyes. The music SWELLS.

SERIES OF SHOTS: GOD EXPLODES

1. EXT. STULL CEMETERY - from above, a shockwave explodes outward.

2. EXT. SMALL TOWN - The shockwave rolls through a town, across a suburban street, and people reappear--walking dogs, watering gardens, driving down the street.

3. INT. CHURCH – Worshipers reappear in the pews.

4. INT. HEAVEN - Angels in their monochrome suits reappear in the gunmetal gray hallway.

5. INT. HELL - THRONE ROOM - ROWENA reappears on her throne with a look of surprise. She touches her face, making sure she's all there.

7. INT. CHARLIE’S HOUSE – CHARLIE and her GIRLFRIEND both re-materialize in their kitchen.

8. INT. CAR – JODY MILLS, wearing her uniform, appears in her patrol car. She blinks, then fumbles for her phone.

JODY

Oh, God. I gotta call the girls.

9. INT. BECKY’S HOUSE – BECKY and her HUSBAND and CHILDREN reappear. Becky, crying with relief, pulls her unwilling kids into a hug.

10. EXT. HIGHWAY - AERIAL SHOT - Cars move along the highway. Song fades out.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STULL CEMETERY. DAY.

Back in the cemetery, the ground still quakes. The wind HOWLS. Chuck/Amara float a few feet off the ground, head tipped back, flashing back and forth--now Chuck, now Amara, now Chuck again.

Dean and Sam stand, gripping each other's arms. Jack, battered by the wind, reaches them.

JACK

(yelling over the noise)

IS IT WORKING? WHAT'S HAPPENING?

DEAN

I DON'T KNOW. SOMETHING!

The ground begins to RUMBLE.

Another shockwave BLASTS outward.

CUT TO WHITE.

COMMERCIAL BREAK.

ACT THREE

EXT. STULL CEMETERY. DAY.

Dean, Sam, and Jack watch Chuck-Amara-Chuck-Amara flash back and forth, hovering above the grass.

JACK

(yelling over the noise)

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

DEAN

I DON'T KNOW. SOMETHING!

The ground begins to RUMBLE.

Another shockwave BLASTS outward.

CUT TO:

INT. HEAVEN. DAY.

An ANGEL in a gray-suited female vessel patrols a long hallway lined with doors, each one labeled with a nameplate. We're in the part of heaven where the souls are housed. The hallway stretches infinitely, the distant doors fading into gray.

We hear a distant RUMBLE. The angel stops walking, feeling the movement beneath her feet. She looks around, concerned.

She pulls opens the nearest door, labeled "John Gilnitz," and looks inside.

It's empty. A blank white room. Nobody inside.

ANGEL

What? But that's...

She steps back, and tries the next door. Before she can even open it, the doorknob disintegrates in her hand.

The door before her vanishes.

ANGEL

Oh no.

She looks back up the long hallway. One by one, the doors are vanishing, the shockwave rolling towards her. Finally it rolls over her with a WHOOSH, and she throws her arm up, shielding her eyes.

When she lowers her arm, the hallway is featureless. Long, blank white walls stretch into forever.

The angel looks horrified.

INT. HELL - THRONE ROOM. NIGHT.

Rowena, Queen of Hell, sits on her throne while a demonic assistant holds a mirror up in front of her. She's still poking her face to make sure she's fully intact.

Another lackey runs in.

DEMON LACKEY

My queen!

ROWENA

(without looking up)

Yes, yes, what is it?

DEMON LACKEY

The souls, your majesty! They're gone.

ROWENA

(not paying attention)

What's that?

DEMON LACKEY

All the human souls in Hell, your majesty! They've vanished.

Rowena finally looks up at him.

ROWENA

But that's impossible. All of them?

She looks around in shock.

ROWENA

But where could they have gone?

BACK TO:

EXT. STULL CEMETERY. DAY.

The ground RUMBLES. Then with a SHRIEK, a hole tears open in the air--a rift.

Chuck and Amara separate and tumble to the ground, both unconscious.

The RUMBLE crescendos, and then--

FWOOM. Spirits pour out from the rift. Angels, demons, beings come flying out, in a rush of shapes reminiscent of the Hell rift in the Season 14 finale.

Some, we recognize. Among them--

ANNA.

Ruby--smiling with relief.

CROWLEY.

They flash by quickly and disappear.

Sam, Dean, and Jack watch the outpouring of spirits.

SAM

It's the Empty. They burst the valve.

JACK

All the loud things are coming out.

DEAN

The Empty?

Dean looks at the rift.

DEAN

Cas.

The outflow rate is slowing down. The last few spirits fly out. Dean makes for the portal.

DEAN

CAS!

SAM

Dean--wait!

Dean jumps in. In a flash, he vanishes. Sam and Jack run after him, but just as they reach it--

SHOOP. The portal zips shut.

Panting, Sam looks around, and looks at Jack. Jack looks slightly panicked.

Behind them on the grass, Chuck GROANS.

CHUCK

I feel... terrible. What the hell was that, Amara?

Amara is not listening. Sitting in the grass, she looks down at her hands, flexing her fingers, feeling her fingertips.

She lays her hand in the grass and feels it. Then she rips some grass up and looks at it in her palm.

AMARA

Wow. I'm...

Back to Chuck. He's patting himself all over, looking panicked.

CHUCK

But I, I--I'm--

AMARA

...Human.

Tight on Chuck. He looks stricken.

Tight on Amara. She smiles reverently.

Sam bends over and helps Amara to her feet. She brushes herself off.

JACK

Becoming human can be a hard adjustment. But it's worth it. A human is a very good thing to be.

SAM

Welcome to the club.

AMARA

Thank you.

SAM

What are you going to do now?

Amara looks around. She shrugs.

AMARA

Whatever I want.

She smiles at Sam and Jack.

AMARA

And so are you.

With that, she walks out of the cemetery. They turn to watch her go.

CHUCK

Hey--wait! Wait! You can't leave me here like this!

Sam and Jack turn back to Chuck. He's still sitting pathetically on the grass.

CHUCK

Come on!

Sam and Jack exchange a look, then turn around to leave.

CHUCK

Wait! Stop!

(vengefully)

I said stop!

Chuck SNAPS his fingers.

Nothing happens.

He looks at his own hand in horror. He tries snapping again.

CHUCK

No.

Sam and Jack stop near the arch, a few yards from Chuck. He looks at them pleadingly.

CHUCK

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

SAM

What she said. Whatever you want. We're out of here. Show's over, Chuck. So long.

Sam turns, then stops again. He holds up a finger, and turns back to Chuck.

SAM

Whatever you want, except... Well, you already tried writing. No more of that, okay? You weren't any good at it.

He turns back to Jack, who's looking up at him with admiration.

SAM

Come on.

Sam guides Jack out through the archway with a hand on his shoulder. Pull back on Chuck, sitting alone on the ground in the cemetery. UPLIFTING MUSIC begins to play.

MONTAGE: RENEWED EARTH

Around the world, heartwarming scenes of people living their ordinary lives again as the music plays.

People mow their front lawns.

Friends eat at restaurants.

Buskers play music in the park.

Fishermen haul in nets full of fish.

Office workers gossip over their cubicle walls. College students laugh together in their dorm room.

In between shots, we see Sam and Jack driving home in the Impala.

Twenty-somethings putting on makeup and doing their hair in a bathroom, getting ready to go out together.

A couple getting married.

A raucous wedding reception.

A nurse hands a mother and father their newborn baby.

Two young people smoking outside a nightclub. They start talking, and shake hands.

A family walking through a farmer's market.

Jack looks wistfully out the window. Sam drives, his expression calm but sad.

On the seat between them, Sam's phone lights up. Jack looks down at it.

JACK

Sam.

CUT TO:

INT. HEAVEN - NAOMI'S OFFICE. DAY.

In a Heavenly office, NAOMI chews out the angel from earlier. The music continues, and their dialogue is inaudible. The angel looks down, hands folded in front of herself, looking ashamed but resigned.

Naomi slumps down in her chair, rubbing her temples.

INT. HELL - THRONE ROOM. DAY.

The music fades down so we can hear Rowena shrieking at her underlings. One DEMON stands in front with a clipboard, grimacing with fear as she yells at him.

ROWENA

They can't have just vanished you bloody idiot, I said find them! If we can't find those souls, then what the hell are we supposed to--

Clipboard Demon looks up, and his expression suddenly changes from a grimace to wide-eyed horror. He sees something behind her.

ROWENA

What? What is it?

She whirls around in her seat. Standing off to the side, below her throne in the shadows, is--

CROWLEY

My my. You've really let this place go to hell, haven't you?

ROWENA

FERGUS?

Crowley looks up at her.

CROWLEY

Mother.

Rowena lets out a joyful SOB.

She jumps off the throne and throws her arm around her son. He pats her back, smiling slightly.

ROWENA

(muffled)

Oh, Fergus! They're all gone! What are we going to do?

CROWLEY

Oh, I'm sure we'll come up with something.

The music rises again. We crossfade back to...

EXT. FARMLAND HIGHWAY. DAY

It's sunset. The Impala drives slowly down a slope, Sam driving, Jack in the passenger seat. On either side of the road, tall golden grass waves in the breeze. They slow to a stop. Sam KILLS the engine and climbs out, looking at something--or someone--we can't see.

SAM

Eileen?

It's her. Arms folded, EILEEN leans against a phone booth, backed by the sunlit field.

EILEEN

Hi, Sam.

Sam laughs with relief. They hurry towards each other and meet in the middle. Sam hugs her tightly. She smiles against his chest.

She pulls back, and looks up at him. He tucks her hair behind her ear.

SAM

I thought I told you never to do that again.

EILEEN

Hey. I missed you too.

Backed by the sunset, Sam and Eileen rest their foreheads together.

FADE TO BLACK.

The music echoes to silence.

EXT. EMPTY. NIGHT.

Dean, standing alone in the darkness, looks around.

DEAN

Cas? CAS!

He turns, frustrated.

DEAN

Where the hell are you?

EMPTY!CASTIEL (O.S.)

You're back?

Dean whips around.

He's alone.

DEAN

Where's Cas?

A disembodied voice answers, booming from seemingly nowhere:

EMPTY!CASTIEL (O.S.)

You know that I could wipe you out of existence right now, don't you? I could trap you here. I could make you go to sleep.

DEAN

(defiant)

So do it.

EMPTY!CASTIEL (O.S.)

The only reason I'm not doing it--because really, you people are a serious pain in my neck--is because you fixed it. It's quiet now.

DEAN

Great. You're extremely friggin' welcome. Now I wanna talk to Cas.

A shape behind him flickers. From the ground, an oily shape rises up, forming into EMPTY!MEG, sitting on the throne.

EMPTY!MEG

From now on, everyone comes here, and dreams forever. The good and the bad. Including me. I'm going back to sleep.

DEAN

What about all the souls and spirits and--whatevers that just went rushing out the cosmic drainhole?

EMPTY!MEG

The ones that woke up... they were the ones who wanted a second chance. But they'll be back here eventually. Everyone will be.

Dean looks around them.

EMPTY!MEG

The veils between worlds are sealing back up. You should get out of here while you still can, boy.

DEAN

Is Cas still here?

EMPTY!MEG

Yes. He didn't wake up. I told you. He's sleeping peacefully. He had no regrets. He didn't want a second chance.

Dean looks away, steeling himself.

DEAN

Well, I have regrets. And I want a second chance.

He looks up at the Empty.

EMPTY!MEG

You want me to wake him up?

DEAN

Yeah. I do.

The Empty looks at him, thinking. Then it raises a hand and snaps its fingers.

A black goo form rises out of the darkness at its feet. It takes a human shape--wrapped in a shroud. Cas's funeral shroud from 13x01.

Dean stares down at him.

DEAN

(without looking up)

Send us back to Sam and Jack on Earth.

The Empty considers it.

EMPTY!MEG

Fine. But only because you made it quiet.

It flicks its hand and the shrouded Cas form flies at Dean, who catches him awkwardly. He secures his grip around Cas--he's too large and stiff for bridal style, so Dean sort of props him up like an upright bass.

EMPTY!MEG

This is a one-way exit. It closes behind you two, forever. Understand?

DEAN

Yeah. Forever. Got it.

Dean grimly faces the portal. It's not like the usual little golden thread rift--it's a swirling, golden, door-sized opening, surface roiling like flames.

Dean secures his grip on Cas once more and steps in.

EXT. EMPTY PORTAL.

WHOOSH. Golden flames BLAST around Dean and Cas. The NOISE is overpowering. Tight on Dean and Cas from the torso up. Dean's eyes are squeezed tightly shut against the wind and the heat as they fly through--his teeth gritted, hair blasted back, as he holds the unconscious, shrouded Cas.

The flames burn the shroud away, revealing Cas's face--still peacefully asleep, his hair flying in the wind--and then his body, in dark silhouette.

Dean ducks his head low over Cas, holding him tightly to his chest. His right hand grips Cas's left shoulder.

BACK TO:

EXT. EMPTY. NIGHT.

Empty!Meg stands in front of the portal, ready to close it. Behind it, BILLIE stands with her scythe.

The Empty turns to her.

EMPTY!MEG

You've got a lot of work to do.

BILLIE

I do. And you've got a lot of sleep to catch up on.

The Empty smiles. It's genuine--for the first time.

EMPTY!MEG

Yes, I do.

It raises a hand, then lowers it. The portal fades away like a dying candle.

EMPTY!MEG

They're gone. But they'll be back.

BILLIE

Only one more time.

EMPTY!MEG

Yes. And you're sure you want to go back to...

(it gestures)

...all that?

BILLIE

Like you said. Lots of work to do. It's a whole new world out there.

EMPTY!MEG

Suit yourself.

With a final smile, the Empty closes its eyes and dissolves back into its black goo form, then melts away into the darkness.

Billie stands for another moment, alone with her scythe, looking peaceful.

EXT. FOREST. DAY.

Tight on Dean, eyes closed, lying face-down on the forest floor. His face is bruised and slightly singed. He opens his eyes and blinks, dazed.

Pull back slightly. Cas is lying on his back a few feet away from Dean, eyes still closed. He's wearing a charcoal gray trench coat, the same cut as the one that he wore when we first met him, and his blue tie has been replaced with a darker indigo. The ground below them is burned black, leaves singed.

Dean, still dazed, spots him.

DEAN

(hoarse)

Cas.

Dean hikes himself up on his elbows and drags himself over to Cas.

DEAN

Cas, hey.

He grips Cas's upper arm, and shakes him.

DEAN

Hey. Cas.

Cas's eyelids flutter. His head turns slightly. He's alive.

Dean sigh-laughs with relief. Then he coughs.

DEAN

(hoarse, relieved)

We made it, buddy.

He hears something and turns his head to listen--the Impala's ENGINE approaching.

Relieved, Dean exhales and closes his eyes. He puts his head down in his arms, his hand still on Cas, and succumbs to unconsciousness.

We rise overhead, pulling back slowly. The ENGINE STOPS and we hear car doors OPEN. Dean and Cas lie unconscious at an angle, in the center of a burnt crater in the woods. We rise higher--we see that trees have fallen, radiating outward, Lazarus Rising-style. We see the Impala, parked at the edge of the trees, on yellow grass overgrown with blackberry bushes. Sam and Jack, tiny now as we rise up overhead, SLAM the car doors shut and hurry towards the middle of the crater.

COMMERCIAL BREAK.

ACT FOUR

INT. IMPALA - BACK SEAT. DAY.

Tight on Dean waking up, lying in the back seat of the Impala. It's parked. He rubs his eyes with the backs of his hands and looks around, blinking.

Sam is sitting in the front seat. He turns.

SAM

Hey. You okay?

DEAN

Yeah. Where the hell are we?

SAM

We're home. At the bunker.

Dean looks out the window. Indeed they are.

He looks back at Sam.

SAM

Jack and Cas are inside.

Dean sits up straight.

CUT TO:

INT. BUNKER - LIBRARY. DAY.

Cas, in his fancy new threads, sits at a table next to Jack, deep in conversation.

JACK

And Chuck thought he saw right through us--which he did, at first--but he never saw that coming. I mean--if I had killed Dean, he would have seen that coming. But I didn't. And then, in the end, that gave us the element of surprise.

Cas smiles at him.

CAS

I'm proud of you, Jack. You did what you thought was right.

BOOM. The bunker door opens. Jack looks up, and Cas turns around in his seat.

DEAN (O.S.)

Hey!

Cas and Jack stand up as Dean enters, walking quickly, his expression serious.

DEAN

(walking towards Cas)

You okay?

CAS

Fine. Are you--?

DEAN

Yeah. Come here.

Dean reaches Cas and pulls him into a tight hug.

Tight on Dean, chin on Cas's shoulder, his eyes closed, frowning deeply. He lets out a small sigh, and presses his face into Cas's shoulder.

Cas looks unsure what to do. His hands hover.

CAS

Dean, I--

DEAN

(muffled)

Shut the hell up.

Cas closes his eyes, looking pained but relieved. He wraps his arms around Dean's shoulders.

DEAN

You're a son of a bitch for dying on me like that.

CAS

(muffled)

Sorry. I--I made a deal.

DEAN

Yeah. Well, it was a stupid deal. So I broke it.

Dean pulls back. Cas lets go, but Dean keeps a grip on Cas's upper arms.

They look at each other. Cas can't hold Dean's gaze--he looks down.

They both start talking at the same time:

CAS

(over)

Dean, I'm sorry. I never expected--everything I said, I didn't mean to...

DEAN

(over)

Listen, Cas. I spent a lot of time thinking about what you said--

Dean stops abruptly; Cas trails off.

Dean stares at Cas.

DEAN

Oh, hell.

Dean pulls Cas in and kisses him.

Cas's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Dean grips him by the shoulders--after a second, Cas's hands land on Dean's upper arms, gently.

Sam, standing in the library doorway, blinks.

SAM

Whoa. Okay.

Jack looks surprised--like he's just walked in on his parents kissing.

Dean and Cas break apart after a few seconds. They're still holding each other by the arms, like they're dancing.

CAS

Dean. What are you doing?

DEAN

Weird human thing. Don't tell me you've never tried it before.

CAS

Dean, when I said... I wasn't asking for anything from you.

DEAN

(annoyed)

Maybe I'm not doing it because you asked.

CAS

But...

DEAN

Dammit, Cas--

Dean grips Cas's face between his hands, and presses his forehead against Cas's.

Tight on Cas, looking back and forth between Dean's eyes--like he's not sure he believes this is real.

Back to Dean, watching him --

Cas lets out a choked laugh--then Dean laughs too, throwing his head back with joy.

Cas lifts his eyes back up to Dean's, then strokes Dean's cheek with his thumb. His eyes roam all over Dean's face.

CAS

Dean...

DEAN

Don't get all sappy on me now.

Cas is looking pointedly at Dean's mouth. He looks up at Dean's eyes again--an unspoken question.

Dean's eyebrows twitch upward, as if to say "What are you gonna do about it?"

DEAN

What was it you said? The one thing you wanted?

CAS

Want.

DEAN

(low)

So come on.

Cas doesn't need any more encouragement. With a look of enthusiasm, he pulls Dean in and kisses him, hard. Like he's been waiting 12 long years to do it.

Tight on Sam, who laughs, relieved.

Tight on Jack, who still looks a little confused. He opens his mouth, but then--POP--a light overhead EXPLODES, and Jack throws up an arm to shield his face. So does Sam.

The music SWELLS. POP, POP, POP--the lights overhead explode one after another.

The camera spins around Dean and Cas, arms around each other, white sparks falling around them as they kiss.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SUBURBAN HOME. DAY.

It's a sunny morning outside an ordinary blue house with a neatly mown lawn, a shaded front porch, and blooming hydrangeas. The dramatic music fades down to a few final, wistful notes. WIND blows through the trees, and in the distance, a dog BARKS. We move slowly up the front path until we reach the porch. The mailbox next to the door is labeled "WINCHESTER."

A bike bell DINGS, and a newspaper soars onto the porch, landing with a THUMP against the door.

A moment later, the door opens. Sam, wearing Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt and holding a mug, bends down to retrieve the newspaper.

INT. SAM & EILEEN'S HOUSE. DAY.

Inside, the front hall is lined with framed family photos. We move slowly along:

- Sam and Eileen

- Sam and Dean and Bobby

- Mary and John

- Young Dean holding baby Sam

- Sam, Dean, Cas, and Jack in the bunker

- Sam and Eileen and a young girl

- Sam, Eileen, and the same young girl dressed up in court, finalizing her adoption

- The three of them plus a preschool-aged boy, beaming at the camera.

We reach the kitchen, where Sam has set the newspaper down on the table. The little boy from the photo, JOEY (5), sits at the table eating Cheerios with great enthusiasm. Sam checks a pot simmering on the stove.

SAM

(speaking and signing)

Where's Mama and Carla?

JOEY

(signing, captioned)

In the backyard.

Sam peers out the window, sees them, and smiles. Eileen is pointing, directing their daughter, CARLA (13), to set up some sort of easel or stand in the grass.

Joey chews and swallows.

JOEY

(signing, captioned)

When will it be my turn?

SAM

(speaking and signing)

It will be your turn when Mom says you're old enough to throw knives.

Joey SIGHS huffily and takes another bite.

EXT. SAM & EILEEN'S HOUSE - BACKYARD. DAY.

Eileen stands several yards from the bullseye that Carla has set up. She holds up a throwing knife, and gets into form demonstratively, looking at her daughter to make sure she's paying attention. Then she locks eyes on the bullseye and throws the knife.

THUNK.

It lands pretty close to the middle.

Eileen turns to Carla. Carla's impressed.

EILEEN

(signing, captioned)

I'm a little rusty.

CARLA

(speaking and signing)

Do it again.

EXT. NEIGHBOR'S BACK DECK. DAY.

An OLDER SUBURBAN DAD, reading his newspaper on his back deck, hears the THUNK from the yard next door. He takes off his reading glasses and peers over the fence into the Winchesters' yard.

His eyes widen in affront as Eileen flings another knife into the bullseye with a THUNK.

EXT. SAM & EILEEN'S HOUSE - BACKYARD. DAY.

Bullseye. The knife landed dead center.

Carla laughs, looking at her mom.

CARLA

Whoa.

CREAK, the back door closes. Eileen turns, smiling, to her daughter, and in the background behind them, we see Sam out of focus, leaning against the railing with his coffee.

EILEEN

Your turn.

Eileen holds out a knife, handle first. Carla takes it.

Sam watches from the porch. Eileen, showing Carla how to hold it correctly, notices Sam. He waves. She smiles. Carla is focused on the knife. She tests the weight in her hand.

Sentimental music rises as we transition to...

MONTAGE: LIFE AFTER CHUCK

INT. SMITH CENTER HIGH SCHOOL. DAY.

STACY and MAX from Lebanon stand in front of a vending machine with Jack. Max's finishes punching in a number. The spiral VROOMS as it dispenses a bag of M&Ms... and then stops, just before the M&Ms fall.

Max GASPS. She hits the side of the machine--THWACK. No movement.

MAX

Come on!

STACY

(lamenting)

God is cruel...

Jack steps forward.

JACK

Can I try?

MAX

Yeah man. Go for it.

She steps aside. Jack stands in front of the machine and lifts a hand, fingers poised like he's about to snap his fingers. Then instead, he reaches straight through the glass. Max and Stacy GASP. Pushing through like it's liquid, Jack grabs the M&M bag and pulls it out.

Jack holds it up to Max, smiling.

JACK

Here you go.

Max takes it, mouth open in shock.

STACY

Awesome.

Music rises as montage continues.

INT. SCHOOL BUS. DAY.

Jack rides the school bus, backpack in his lap and a trumpet case on the seat beside him. He gazes peacefully out the window.

EXT. LEBANON - BUS STOP. DAY.

Jack disembarks from the bus, trumpet case in hand. The Impala is parked at the bus stop, and Cas is standing outside, leaning against the back driver's side door. He wears a short tan jacket, white shirt, no tie. Dean's arm hangs out the driver's side window.

Jack sees them and waves. Cas waves back, as does Dean's arm. Cas takes Jack's backpack and trumpet case, and while Jack climbs in the back, Cas takes them to the trunk. He opens it--inside, instead of weapons, there's a rolled-up plaid blanket, beach chairs, and a picnic basket.

POV SHOT: TRUNK

Cas tosses in Jack's backpack and trumpet among the picnic items, and SLAMS the trunk shut.

CUT TO:

EXT. SAM & EILEEN'S HOUSE. DAY.

It's late afternoon, sunny. The Impala is parked out front.

INT. IMPALA. DAY.

Jack, Carla, and Joey are jumbled in the back seat. Joey is in a car seat. Cas is twisted around in the passenger seat, double-checking the security of the car seat. Jack and Carla are chatting animatedly.

Dean looks in the rearview.

DEAN

All right. Everyone buckled in back there?

JACK

Yup!

CAS

Hold on.

He tugs the seatbelt one more time. Joey is uninterested in the proceedings.

CAS

Okay. All set. Let's go.

Cas turns around to face front. Dean flashes a smile at him before REVVING the engine and pulling away.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STATE HIGHWAY. DAY.

The sun is setting, casting long shadows on the road. In the Impala, Dean, Cas, and the kids drive down the curving road. Through the window, Jack and Carla sing along to a song we can't hear.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. DEATH'S READING ROOM.

Billie sits at her desk in her library, a large tome open in front of her. A REAPER, neatly dressed, stands at her desk, giving a report. Billie writes in the book with a silver fountain pen. Music fades down slightly.

REAPER

Winston, Steven. Age 66. Cause of death: Stroke. Died peacefully in his sleep at home, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

As the reaper speaks, we get a view of the library. It's different--no more letter labels, and the notebooks have disappeared from the shelves. Instead, there are thick tomes like the one Billie is writing in. But not too many--there's still open space on the shelves.

Billie nods, and finishes writing. She caps her pen and sets it down in the crease of the book.

BILLIE

Thank you.

Billie smooths down this "W" page, looking down the list. Pan down the page, to WINCHESTER.

WINCHESTER, DEAN. Below it, WINCHESTER, SAMUEL.

CAUSE OF DEATH:

DATE OF DEATH:

Both are blank.

Billie considers the page. Then she looks up again. She folds her hands together on the desk.

BILLIE

Next.

Music ends. MONTAGE ENDS.

FADE IN ON:

EXT. SAM & EILEEN'S HOUSE. NIGHT.

Establishing shot. Full moon overhead. A Subaru idles out front, headlights on, engine RUMBLING softly.

INT. SAM & EILEEN'S HOUSE - FRONT HALL. NIGHT.

Sam and Carla stand face to face in the front hall. Sam holds the house keys out.

SAM

You're in charge until bedtime.

CARLA

Okay.

SAM

If we're not back by 10:30, you know what to do.

CARLA

Call Uncle Dean.

SAM

Uh-huh. And if anyone comes to the door, you know what to do?

CARLA

Pray to Jack.

SAM

That's right.

BEEP BEEP. Eileen's waiting out front.

Sam kisses the top of Carla's head. He puts the keys in her hand.

CARLA

(smiling)

Ew. Go. We're fine.

Sam opens the door. He looks down at the floor.

The welcome mat has shifted slightly, revealing the corner of a devil's trap.

Sam kicks the welcome mat back into place.

SAM

Bye, sweetheart.

He leaves. Carla leans out the door after him.

CARLA

Have fun on your date!

EXT. SAM & EILEEN'S HOUSE. NIGHT.

Sam hurries down the front walk.

INT. CAR. NIGHT.

Sam ducks into their Subaru and SHUTS the door. Eileen raises her eyebrows at him from the driver's seat.

SAM

Let's go.

EXT. CAR. NIGHT.

The engine REVS and they pull away.

CUT TO:

EXT. FOREST. NIGHT.

Sam and Eileen stand at the open hatchback of their Subaru. They're parked at the edge of a dark forest. The full moon glows overhead.

Sam adjusts the bag slung over his shoulder. Eileen, getting something out of the trunk, straightens up.

She's holding a shotgun.

SAM

(speaking and signing)

All set?

Eileen COCKS the shotgun.

SAM

All right.

Sam presses the trunk handle button.

With a modest MECHANICAL WHIRRING NOISE, the trunk closes itself quietly.

Sam turns to Eileen.

SAM

(speaking and signing)

Ready for date night?

Eileen smiles mischievously at him, holding her shotgun.

EILEEN

Ready.

They turn to the dark woods.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. BAR. NIGHT.

Inside a small, warmly lit, wood-paneled bar, neon beer signs glow on the walls and generic rock 'n' roll music plays from a jukebox. The patrons are flannel- and jeans-clad men and women, many of them armed. Two women compare anti-possession tattoos on their arms. A hunter bar.

Behind the bar, white dishtowel over his shoulder, Dean chats with a burly hunter holding two beers. The hunter thanks him and returns to his table. Dean pulls the dishtowel off his shoulder and wipes the condensation off the bar.

JODY

Hey, barkeep.

Dean looks up. Jody stands at the bar. He smiles.

DEAN

Hey there. You two ready for another round?

JODY

Yep.

Behind Jody, DONNA waves from their table. Dean waves his dishtowel.

DEAN

Coming right up.

He turns to get the beers from the fridge behind the bar.

DEAN

How are the girls doing?

JODY

They're doing great. How's Sam?

DEAN

Good. He and Eileen might come by later. You can say hi.

JODY

Awesome.

Dean turns and sets the two bottles on the bar and uncaps them, CLINK, CLINK.

JODY

Thanks, Dean.

As she reaches for the beers, he accidentally hits a glass with his elbow. It falls off the bar and SHATTERS on the floor by his feet.

JODY

Oh--oh no, I'm sorry!

Dean gestures, unconcerned.

DEAN

Don't sweat it. Happens all the time. I got it.

Jody takes her beers and returns to Donna.

Dean crouches to pick up the broken glass. He picks up the larger pieces by hand and puts them in the nearby garbage can. He HISSES--a small cut on his thumb. He puts the last big piece in the trash and stands, bleeding thumb in his mouth.

Dean looks over at Jody and Donna--they raise their bottles to him. He nods back.

Shaking out his hand, Dean looks beyond them, to the back corner of the bar. In a booth, Jack sits in front of several open notebooks and textbooks.

The song on the jukebox ends, and "KOOKS" by David Bowie begins to play.

Dean gets out the brush and dustpan and starts sweeping up the smaller shards.

Behind Dean, Cas enters from the back room, carrying a rack of freshly cleaned glasses. He's in shirtsleeves, with a black apron around his waist.

CAS

Coming through.

Dean moves out of his way, dustpan in hand. Cas shuffles around behind him, and sets the rack in place below the bar. Dean dumps the last few shards into the trash.

Cas straightens up next to him. Dean takes his thumb out of his mouth and looks at the cut.

DEAN

Broke a glass.

Cas puts his hand on Dean's shoulder, and the cut glows gold and heals up.

DEAN

(fondly)

Thanks.

Dean jerks his head towards Jack, who is now back to work, chewing his pencil. Cas follows his gaze to Jack.

DEAN

I think it's time that kid got into the family business and learned how to make a margarita.

Jack sees them looking at him. He smiles and raises his hand hello.

Cas frowns at Dean and shakes his head.

CAS

No, Dean. Not tonight. It's a school night, and Jack's schoolwork is very important to him.

Dean raises his hands in mock surrender.

DEAN

All right, all right. You got me whipped, huh?

Dean kisses Cas on the temple. Cas looks at him fondly. The SONG transitions from the stereo to soundtrack.

The front door OPENS. Sam and Eileen enter. Sam has some blood on his shirt. Eileen has some blood on her jacket.

DEAN

(happy)

Hey hey!

We rise overhead, slowly moving away. The music rises too, muffling their dialogue. Eileen and Sam sit down at the bar. Dean tries to ruffle Sam's hair and Sam swats his arm away. Cas slides them two beers.

Pulling back, we can see Jody and Donna's table, and Jack hard at work on his homework. Sam drinks, and Eileen raises her beer towards Dean, who leans his elbow on the bar, ready to listen to the play-by-play.

EXT. DEAN & CAS'S BAR. NIGHT.

Outside, the bar and the cars in the gravel parking lot are bathed in blue moonlight. Parked front and center, the Impala gleams. The song fades to an end.

FADE TO BLACK.

THE END.