Free To Be You and Me

Sam wants to give up hunting for angels and demons, but a mysterious visitor changes his mind; Dean attempts to locate the archangel Raphael, who may know God's location.

Summary
Sam is sleeping by himself in a motel room. When he turns, he sees his long dead girlfriend Jessica. Sam tells Jessica that he misses her so much and Jess asks Sam why he is running away. Sam tells her that he thinks he's a freak, Jess tells him that it isn't true, but Sam denies her saying he knows he has a 'big' darkness inside him.

Back one week earlier, Sam and Dean are living their separate ways. The scene flashing back and forth between Dean hunting - interviewing, killing vampires, cleaning up - and Sam trying to make a normal life for himself - burning his fake IDs, and getting a job as a choreboy in a local bar.

As Dean cleans up his bloody jacket, Castiel appears behind him. He explains to Dean that they need to find God and the only one who can help them is the Archangel Raphael, the very same angel that killed him. Dean wonders if this is actually for revenge, but goes along with it after some discussion. Castiel claims he has no one else to help him, and Dean is crucial to the plan because no angel would bring harm to him, Michael's vessel.

At the bar, a waitress, Lindsay, shows interest in Sam, who is going by the name Keith. She tries to pry information out of him, finally betting him life stories and dinner on a game of darts. To get him off her back, he quickly wins the game, then turns to the news, where he sees some ominous signs in the weather. He calls Bobby for help, and refuses to be the hunter to take care of things when asked.

Castiel and Dean arrive at the police station in Waterville, Maine to get information about the location of Raphael's vessel from an officer who witnessed a battle between Raphael and some demons. Castiel wants to be honest with the witness, but Dean convinces him to go in disguised as two federal agents. Despite Castiel's inexperience at undercover work, they find out the where-abouts of Raphael's vessel: St. Pete's Hospital, where they find the former vessel apparently brain-fried after hosting the archangel.

Back at an abandoned house, Castiel brings a very rare Oil type, Holy Oil from Jerusalem in which they can trap the archangel, and reveals he doesn't expect to live through the trap.

A few hunters walk into the bar calling Sam by his real name and talking about hunting. Sam quickly covers the slip to Lindsay then calls them away to a table. The hunters, Steve Bose, Reggie Hull, and Tim JanklowS5Com, tell Sam that Bobby called them saying that in the town there's a demon crisis. Sam says he's out.

Meanwhile Castiel and Dean are at a brothel after Dean found out that Castiel is still a virgin. While Dean's flirting with his lady, he hears a scream from the back.Dean goes to the back and finds Castiel, trench coat and suit still on but his tie askew, and the girl, nearly hysterical, hightailing it. Dean asks what happened, and Castiel explains that he only looked the girl in the eyes and tried to comfort her by telling her that it wasn't her fault that her father, Gene, ran off. It was because he hated his job at the post office. Dean remarks that the whole industry is practically built on absent fathers and gets them out of there. As they get in the car he claims he hasn't laughed that much in a very long time.

Sam and Lindsay are enjoying a salad, and Lindsay starts prying. Sam opens up just enough to vaguely tell Lindsay that he used to be in business with his brother, but he made some mistakes and people got hurt. Lindsay asks what his addiction was, pulling out her sobriety coin and assuring him that nobody has ever been so bad that they can't be forgiven, that they can't change.

Back in Maine, Castiel and Dean are at St. Pete's in the Vessel's room. Castiel, pouring a circle around the guy, explains that when the Holy Oil burns, it acts like a steel cage, trapping the angel. He also explains that the connection between angel and vessel is kind of like a phone line, if one knows the right number, and can be used to bring the archangel to them.

When Dean and Castiel get back to the house, Raphael is standing there. Dean tells Raphael that they knew he was coming and he lights the circle of Holy Oil the Archangel is standing in. Raphael is surprised and tells them that God is dead. That is the only explanation for the horrible things have happened in the 20-21st Century and God's continuing silence. He suggests that Lucifer is the one who resurrected Castiel as he needs more fallen angels. Castiel doesn't believes him and they leave the now destroyed building, Raphael still trapped in the burning ring of oil.

Back at the bar Sam is questioned by the hunters, who are have taken Lindsay hostage, now down to two as the unexpected numbers of the demons killed their friend. Sam confesses that he was the one who had started the Apocalypse as they had heard from the demons, but the hunters want him to drink a vial of demon blood and wipe out all the demons in the town. Sam refuses and he's attacked by Tim, who force-feeds him the blood. Sam spits it back in his face, then beats them up badly, and they leave.

Castiel and Dean are on the road, Castiel riding shotgun and looking sullen. Dean told Castiel that he knows a little something about missing fathers, and there were many times he was looking for his dad when all logic said he was dead. But he knew his dad was alive. Dean told Castiel to ignore Raphael and asks what he believes. Castiel replies that he thinks God is still alive, and Dean tells him to go looking for him. Then Castiel asks how Dean is, and Dean replies that although he can't believe it, he's good, really good.

Sam gets another late-night visit from Jessica, who turns out to be Lucifer disguising himself as Jessica all along. He says that Nick's body was Plan B, and that his true vessel was supposed to be Sam. He says that eventually, without any trickery or lies on his part, Sam will agree to be his vessel, although Sam adamantly disagrees.

Major Characters

 * Sam Winchester


 * Dean Winchester


 * Castiel

Minor Characters

 * Bobby Singer
 * Raphael


 * Lucifer

Featured Music
"Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

"Blues Won't Let Me Be" by Left Hand Frank And His Blues Band

"Devil Sway" by Swank

Continuity

 * Sam and Dean are now seperated since the end of Good God Y'all

Quotes
Dean: There are two things I know for certain. One: Bert and Ernie are gay. Two: you are not gonna die a virgin, not on my watch.

~

Dean: You were wasted by a teenage mutant ninja angel?