"It's just every time I think about it, you know? It's like a nightmare. I mean I can't eat, I can't sleep- it's always just there, watching me."

"Dean, it's just a beard. I've been a little busy lately."

I snickered, following the brothers through the hall of the Bunker.

"Yeah, well, that's not an excuse, 'cause, you know, Duck Dynasty called and they want it all back."

"Some people say I look good," Sam smirked.

"No, Sam," Dean shook his head. "No people say that."

"Hey, you know."

"Hey, if you're going to ask me if I'm okay, you don't have to."

"Okay, it's just you didn't talk a whole lot on the ride here."

Dean eyed me and I glanced away.

"Look, Michael bailed. I don't know why and don't know how: he just cleared out. Now as far as my memory goes, I mean everything from the second I said yes to the moment I walked through those doors is a blank. So, I'm good. I'm just really, really happy to be home."

We walked into the library where all the hunters from the Apocalypse World were milling around like a well-oiled machine like they had been the past few weeks.

"Yep, there have been a few changes made," I rolled my eyes.

One of the hunters approached us warily.

"Yeah: not Michael any more," Dean told him.

"Right, Chief told us," the hunter replied. "Welcome back."

"Chief?!" Dean looked over at Sam.

"I asked them not to call me that," Sam defended himself quietly.

"Daddy!"

Maddie and Zep both rushed over, hugging Dean tightly.

"Hey, princess. Bud," Dean smiled, hugging them back.

"Dean?" Jack asked, also coming over.

"Hey, kid."

"Is it really you?"

"Yeah," Dean nodded.

Maddie and Zep backed off so Jack could take a turn hugging Dean as Cass also made his way over to join the reunion.

"Dean."

"Cass."

"I'm sorry. I wanted to be there, but we feared that Michael would sense my presence."

"Sam told me. No big deal."

"Where's Emilie?" Jack asked.

"She and Bobby stayed back in Duluth to clean up the situation," I informed him.

"Speaking of clean up, I need a shower," Dean announced.

"Hey..." Sam started.

"Still okay. I promise."

Dean headed down the hall, leaving the rest of us behind.

"How's Nick?" Sam asked Cass.

"He's gone."

"WHAT?"

"He left a note, said that he had some personal business to attend to and he hasn't been returning my calls. He was in a dark place; maybe he just needed some time."

"Alright, yeah, maybe," Sam nodded.

"Sam," Cass swallowed. "Dean, how is he really?"

"I don't know."

They both looked over at me.

"Don't look at me. I don't know, either."

"But you talked to him," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, and we argued over why he didn't listen to me when I told him not to say yes. That's it."

"Why would Michael just give up his vessel like that?" Cass changed the subject.

"I don't know," Sam shook his head.

"And why was Michael helping monsters?"

"Cass, truth is we don't know anything."

⁘

When Dean returned, dressed in his normal jeans and flannel with his hair more spiked like I was used to, he showed us two short, thick scars on his upper right arm he'd found.

"I don't know how I got it," he admitted.

"Well, what could hurt Michael like that?" Cass asked.

"Whatever it was must have been strong," I pointed out.

"So, Cass, I'm going to need you to get in my head, do the whole Vulcan mind meld thing, because if I can't remember what happened I'm going to need you to drag it out of me, okay?"

"Wait a second, you sure about this?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I can handle it," Dean nodded.

"Dean," Cass started.

"Cass, c'mon, hit me."

Reluctantly, Cass moved around the table, prepping to read Dean's mind. He put a hand over the scar, pulling back a moment later.

"Dean, who was that?" he asked.

"Kaia's killer."

Cass looked confused, but Sam pulled out his phone, dialing Jody.

"Sam! Any news?" she picked up.

"Jody, hey, yeah, err... sorry," he apologized.

"Hey, Jody, I'm back!" Dean spoke up.

"Hey, Dean, it is so good to hear your voice!"

"Yeah, you, too."

"Does that mean Ellie's up and about?"

"Yeah, I'm here, Jody," I replied, avoiding Dean's questioning look.

"Jody, that's the good news," Cass informed her.

"What's up?" the sheriff asked.

"You know the thing that killed Kaia in the Bad Place: well, we think it's here."

"WHAT?!"

"Any chance you noticed anything rift-related over there?" I pressed. "A flare up or anything?"

"No, no," Jody denied. "I have video surveillance going down at the fair, Claire practically sat shiva down there. There's been nothing."

"Well, short version, when Michael was possessing me, he got hurt," Dean explained. "It left a scar, two deep gashes, stab-by, prong-y, kinda like..."

"Like someone stabbed you with a giant meat fork?"

"Exactly. How did you know that?"

⁘

Sam, Dean and I were headed to Sioux Falls to help out Jody. Dean was speeding along down the road behind the wheel. Cass said he'd catch up after he handled a situation with some of the other hunters back at the Bunker.

"You're in a hurry," Sam commented.

"Shouldn't I be? Don't worry about that girl, Cass has got it handled."

"I know."

"What? What's the problem?"

"Dean, we still have no idea why Michael let you go, where he is now or what he wants."

"Yep, or who his favorite Spice Girl is," Dean quipped.

"C'mon man, this isn't a joke!" Sam protested. "Something huge happened and you won't really even talk about it! Look, this whole Michael thing: we need to deal with it."

"I'm going at 80 to deal with it. How can I be running from something when I am RACING toward it?!"

"I know, kinda your thing."

"Okay."

"I'm just saying. You say you let Michael in, then bang, you're back in a blink. But for me and Ellie, you were gone: for weeks. We didn't know if you were alive. We just need you to talk to us. Slow down, so we can catch up."

Dean's eyes flickered to mine in the mirror before fixating back on the road in front of him. I knew Jody's comment about me being up and about had gotten him curious, but if he wasn't willing to talk to Sam and I about what happened, then I wasn't about to tell him what it was like on my end.

"Call Jody, let her know we're almost there."