Well, while everyone was hopefully enjoying the holidays, eating a lot of food and spending time with family, the Winchesters have not been having a good time. When we last saw them in Supernatural season 12 episode 8, Sam and Dean had been arrested for attempting to murder the President and were being transported to an unknown location.

Reaching their destination, the boys were put into separate cells while the Secret Service agent who had arrested them, Agent Sanchez, went to talk to an older agent. Sanchez fills the man in on not only this crime but the ones they had been accused of in the past. His opinion is that the Winchesters should just be taken out back and shot. However, the other man who is apparently more of the anti-terrorist expert, wants to find out if they have connections to any terrorist groups first. Either way, the entire incident and imprisonment are to be kept quiet.

Going into their cells, he tries to interrogate each of the boys, asking why they tried to kill the President. Neither will talk. He’s unfazed though, explaining that he wouldn’t be torturing them because even though that does get people to talk, it never results in getting the information he truly needs. Instead, what would work even better is doing nothing. He states that after a while alone in a dark room with nothing but their own company would drive them crazy enough to tell him everything he wants to know.

And that’s exactly what he does. Food trays are slid through the door to keep them fed, but that is their only contact. We see as Dean (Jensen Ackles) tracks the number of days with scratches on the wall and they try to keep active. And throughout the next six weeks, it becomes obvious that the experience is taking its toll on the brothers.

Throughout this time, Mary (Samantha Smith) and Castiel (Misha Collins) are understandably worried about where the boys disappeared to. First, Castiel had to make the difficult call to Mary, asking her to meet him at the bunker where he filled her in on everything that happened. They both feel guilty; Castiel for leaving them and Mary for not being there during this fight.

Castiel goes to Crowley (Mark Sheppard), but the King of Hell has no interest in helping him find Dean and Sam. More powerful being than he has tried to rid the world of the Winchester brothers, now they were gone. In his eyes, it was a battle won.

Meanwhile, Mary stayed at the bunker for a while hoping to hear from her sons. Eventually, she began keeping herself busy by helping people who called the hunters for help. Meeting up with Castiel after the boys had been gone for the six weeks, they are both still upset and concerned. Although Mary is still hopeful the guys will be found, until then all they could do was keep doing their best.

Castiel doesn’t feel he has though. He shares a story of how he tried to investigate a case regarding women found dead with their blood drained by a vampire, as it seemed like something the boys would look into. He says he asked questions and tried to find the monster but he failed. And when women kept dying, he turned tail and left. He couldn’t solve the case like the boys would, like they were so good at doing. It was clearly weighing on him heavily. Mary offered to go with him to hunt together, yet he couldn’t bring himself to go back.

We also get a glimpse of Mick from the English Men of Letters as he’s in a hotel room writing a letter to his home office using a typewriter. He’s been meeting with hunters in an attempt to recruit some that will work with his group to rid the world of all things that go bump in the night. He writes that he’s finding the hunters quite difficult and we get a flash to one meeting where the hunter not so nicely tells him that he doesn’t take orders from anyone. The most interesting thing, however, was when Mick took his hands off the typewriter…and it continued to type. Wait. What?

Anyway, back to Sam and Dean. One day we see their guard deliver the food, only it doesn’t get taken. Glancing into the room, he sees Sam (Jared Padalecki) on the bed, appearing to not be breathing. Sure enough, when the guard checks, Sam is dead. He goes to get the two agents right away, showing them what he found. When they check on Dean, he is also dead.

Their bodies are taken to the on-site morgue to be examined, where Sanchez argues with the other agent. He had wanted to pull the trigger himself, not let them just die out. Everyone is confused about how they died on the same day and no one is happy as they all leave the room.

When alone, Sam and Dean come to and sit up, only having time to check that they were both alright before they heard someone coming back. The young doctor enters the room and is quickly grabbed by Dean to be questioned about where they were. He has no clue, telling them he’s blindfolded to be brought in to work, that the place “isn’t supposed to exist.” They do take his cell phone and leave the building, attempting to call Castiel while checking out the area. On the third try, Castiel finally answers, relieved when he hears Dean’s voice and asking where they are. Luckily, Sam is able to find a map and using the big mountains nearby, determines they are in the Rocky Mountain National Forest in Colorado. They agree to meet at the interstate and Dean tells Cas to hurry.

Next we go to Mary, who has just finished taking care of the vampire problem Castiel had told her about and is about to leave town when the angel calls to let her know he heard from the guys. Faster than you would think, she drives to pick Castiel up. Oh, she is ready to get her sons back. They do still have to think and prepare. Having no idea what they would be walking into, they discuss backup. Mary quickly nixes the idea of asking Crowley and Rowena for help, so another idea occurs to him.

Back at the secret facility, the agents find the doctor locked in a drawer, unharmed. A manhunt is instantly organized and Sanchez says this time, they do it his way. All agents were instructed to shoot on sight as the group made their way into the woods.

Castiel and Mary meet up with the backup Cas had called, which turned out to be Mick and Mr. Ketch. She doesn’t trust that they really want to help but Mick tries to convince her that his offer is true. He says he came to America to make friends, to find hunters willing to help their cause. Yet he’s found that all American hunters are surly and suspicious. He’s also hoping that helping save Sam and Dean would be good for business. Mary agrees as it really is their best option at that moment.

When it’s mentioned what forest Sam and Dean were in, Mr. Ketch knows exactly where they were being held. The Men of Letters feel that meeting at the interstate would be way too far and risky for the Winchesters to run to and have a better idea, using the satellite of one of their contacts to find their location. The group moves out, Mr. Ketch looking a bit thrilled that they have no idea what craziness they are about to face.

In the forest, the government agents are quickly catching up to the boys. It forces them to hide as one gets really close. They deal with him rather easily and grab his walkie-talkie, speaking to Sanchez. Dean warns Sanchez that they had all better turn around and leave. The agent isn’t fazed, reminding Dean that they wouldn’t be getting away, they’re trapped in that forest with them. The elder Winchester brother turns the tables on him though, clarifying that the agents are actually the ones trapped out there with them.

Night has fallen when the two men, still being chased, come across a deserted cabin. Dean searches the place for anything useful while Sam gets a lamp lit, finding a knife and a bear trap. They set to work, preparing for “company.”

It doesn’t take long before that company shows up either, seeing the light and movement inside. Getting into formation, the group surrounds the cabin while one man opens the door. There is no sign of the fugitives and as he walks through the room to search, Sam starts to shoot from below. The whole scene becomes chaotic as Dean takes care of the guards outside while Sam deals with the ones that come inside. In the end, only Sanchez and the older agent are left standing.

Sanchez is injured and disarmed by Dean, who is clearly done with the agent’s crap. Sanchez calls out to the other man to shoot but before he can even raise his gun, Sam is there to stop him. As everyone stops and neither agent has a gun anymore, Sam tells him the truth he had claimed he wanted to know. That the President was possessed by the devil and they saved his life.

Dean warns the agents to stop, not to come after them anymore. As the Winchesters walk away, the older agent asks who they are to which Sam replies, “We’re the guys that saved the world.” Technically he could have added multiple times to the end of that.

Continuing their run through the forest, they come across Castiel and Mary waiting for them. They inquire how the angel and their mom found them as they get to a nearby road and it is revealed who assisted. Sam and Dean may not like it but can’t help but be grateful at least. It’s not all sunshine, however, as Dean reveals that the men left back at the cabin would be calling for back-u[ and Mr. Ketch is surprised they left survivors. Dean responds that they are soldiers doing their job but Mr. Ketch feels it’s still unprofessional. As all three Winchesters and Castiel drive away, Mick gives Mr. Ketch a little nod. Yeah, we know what that nod means.

On the road, our heroes drive across a bridge when the radio flickers and the car dies. Way too calmly, Sam says to Dean, “It’s time.” They all exit the car and Mary asks what’s happening only seconds before Billie appears.

A deal had been made. The brothers knew that the only way they were getting out of that facility was if they were dead. The deal allowed them to die and come back one more time, yet at midnight one Winchester had to die permanently. They are certain neither of them would have survived if they’d stayed there, at least this way one of them gets to keep fighting the good fight. And Billie had made sure it was a blood pact that could not be broken.

Now Billie wants to know which of them she gets to reap. Mary says it will be her, that if a Winchester has to die, she is a Winchester, which Billie is perfectly happy about. The reaper even stops the boys when they’re about to argue or interfere. Mary places a gun to her own head, prepared to sacrifice herself for her children.

Castiel has other plans and kills Billie with his blade. The Winchesters are shocked but Cas feels it had to be done. The angel breaks down a bit, sweetly, saying the world is a dark place and that it needs every Winchester it can have. He won’t let them die, they mean too much to them. He finishes with, “You made a stupid deal and I broke it. You’re welcome.”

The episode comes to a close as Mick finishes his letter. It is revealed that, sure enough, Mr. Ketch has tied up the loose ends. He also has good news about the task of finding a hunter to help them. We see him giving his speech again and it is revealed to be Mary. Leaning across the table, she tells him, “I’m listening.” No, don’t trust them, Mary!