"Hey isn't that?" Dean looked to his father who nodded. "What is it?" Sam looked at his brother and father. "Our old house" Mary said in a whisper and Sam nodded.
Jenny has just moved into a new house in Lawrence, Kansas with her two children Sari and Ritchie, having moved from Wichita after her husband died. She settles Sari into bed. Her young daughter is nervous in the new house, but Jenny reassures her that there is nothing scary in her closet. Jenny continues her unpacking, until a noise draws her down to the basement, where she discovers a trunk full of old photos. One shows a family, and is inscribed on the back "The Winchesters. John, Mary, Dean, and Little Sammy".
The Winchesters smiled at the scene, seeing their old photos and belongings still being there.
Upstairs, Sari screams as the closet door swings open, revealing a figure made of flames.
Mary blinks slowly. That burning entity was a poltergeist maybe or something. But oddly there was something familiar about it. She didn't know why she felt it but she did.
Sam wakes up from a dream of Jenny, screaming from Sari's bedroom window.
"Just a dream?" Jess looked at Sam with concern. "Yeah I guess" Sam muttered. He could bet his life on the fact that it was not just a dream.
Dean is researching new cases, but Sam is distracted as he sits, obsessively sketching the image of a tree. Finally he pulls out an old photo from his duffle, and recognizes the tree as the one that grew outside their childhood home in Lawrence. Sam tells Dean has dreamed of something bad happening at their old house. Dean is skeptical as to why they should return to Kansas based on a dream, but Sam reveals he dreamed of Jessica's death, just the way it happened, several days before the actual event. Dean is disquieted by returning to the family home. When they arrive, Sam explains they used to live there, and Jenny shows them around. She explains the strange occurrences – the flickering lights, noises, and the being Sari reports seeing.
"Poltergeists are attracted to place with a tragic incident" Ellen mused. "This would definitely count" Dean mumbled, wishing he had a beer with him.
After they leave, Sam and Dean decide they need to approach this like any case and research the past of the house. They compare notes on what John has told them of the night their mother died, and Dean relates what he remembers from the night. Sam is surprised; he never knew Dean carried him from the house. When he has a moment alone, Dean tearfully calls John asking for his help, and reveals how upset he is over the whole situation.
John sighs sadly and looks at his older son who had a poker face on. If only he had not been hell bent on finding the thing, then he could have given his boys the support they needed. Especially his oldest who actually remembered what had happened that fateful night.
Back at the house, Jenny has called in a plumber after the garbage disposal has stopped working. As he tries to fix it, a toy monkey mysteriously starts banging its cymbals, and the unit starts up, tearing apart the man's hand.
"Ouch" Jess winced. "Possessed toy?" Sam looked at Dean but he did not respond.
The boys go to a garage and speak to Mike Guenther who co-owned the garage with John. He reminisces about the time after Mary's death, and mentions that John visited every psychic in town. As Sam searches through the telephone book for psychics, a name rings a bell with Dean - Missouri Mosely. The first sentence in John's Journal reads: "I went to Missouri and I learned the truth".
"Psychics are real?" Jess looked at Sam. "Some of them are. Most are just scammers" Sam explained.
The boys visit Missouri Mosely, who is telling an insecure man that his wife wasn't cheating on him, but after he leaves, she mutters that his wife is having an affair with the gardener.
"Should have told him" Jo chuckled.
She recognizes the boys without introduction, and also knows of Jess' death and John's disappearance.
"Oh she is good" Mary muttered. John nods, "she is the real deal" he mumbled.
Meanwhile, something has helped little Ritchie escape from his playpen, and then traps him inside the refrigerator, although Jenny rescues him.
"Why does the thing want kidsicles?" Dean muttered. "Dude not cool" Sam sighed but was glad that his brother was still responsive.
Sam, Dean and Missouri return to the house, and explain to Jenny that they can help rid the house of whatever is there. Missouri senses two presences, one of which is a mean poltergeist, but neither of which were responsible for Mary's death.
Sam tilts his head. So they first thought it could have been a vengeful spirit or something like that.
Missouri has the boys help her prepare bags filled with ingredients that will help purify the house. As they start placing the bags, the poltergeist fights back violently, trying to stop them. Finally all the bags are placed, the house appears peaceful, and Missouri declares the house safe.
"I feel like it's not" Jess mumbled.
Sam is less sure, and he and Dean sit in the car watching the house.
"Guess you love bugs think alike" Jo smirked at the couple who were blinking at each other.
Suddenly Jenny appears, screaming at the upstairs window, just as she did in Sam's dream. The boys rush inside and Dean takes Jenny to safety. Sam sensing something stops and sets both kids on the ground and tells Sari to take Ritchie and to go outside just as something attacks him.
"Yeah no next time you get the hell out of there" Dean growls and the ferocity in his voice left Sam speechless. John on the other hand saw a parallel in that scene, remembering the night himself where he told Dean to take his brother to safety.
Dean breaks down the front door, and finds Sam in the dining room, where some force has pinned him to the wall. Just then a fiery figure appears, but just before Dean shoots it, it coalesces into the figure of their mother, Mary.
All the Winchesters blinked and stared wide eyed at the screen.
She acknowledges Dean, and says "I'm sorry" to Sam, before commanding the poltergeist to leave the house, and disappearing herself in a ball of flame.
"Sorry for what?" Sam croaked out, not really sure why his chest felt so heavy all of a sudden. Mary looked at her youngest with a sad look on her face and opened her mouth. But nothing came out, no sound or anything else. "Guess she isn't allowed to answer" Jess said and looked to the ceiling. Sam sighed and relaxed into his seat. He would find out anyways soon.
Jenny and her family return to the house. Missouri promises to keep an eye on them as Sam and Dean take their leave. At home, Missouri muses that she is surprised that, given his powers, Sam couldn't sense the presence of his father - John Winchester is in her sitting room.
"You were there!" Sam said as he got up with an expression of pure rage on his face, "and you didn't even come out to see us!" he growled. "Sammy" Dean said as he got up himself. "No Dean! I have had it with you sticking up for him! He was there! He could have come out and he could have told us what we are hunting! He could have actually cared!" he screamed. "Sam calm down now!" Dean shouted. Sam looked at his brother in shock who looked like he was trying to hold his anger in. "We will get to know why he didn't come out and meet us. This is why we are here. To know" he said calmly. Sam took a deep breath as Jess sat him down. He didn't like it but Dean was right, he would learn. And this time Jess wouldn't die. Dean for his part sat back down, sparring no glances at his father, who he too was angry on. John just sighed and buried his face in his hands.
Missouri tells him to go and see his sons, but he says he can't, until he knows the truth.
"The truth" Sam and Dean thought at the same time.