"Prophetess?" Castiel knocks on the bathroom door. There's the sound of water running on the other side. After a moment the water shuts off. "Jamie?"
Jamie opens the door, her hair soaking water, wrapped in a towel. "Yes?"
"I'm back." Castiel replies, deadpan.
She rolls her eyes and scoffs. "I can see that. You realize you interrupted my shower, right?"
"I thought it necessary to inform you of my presence, so you wouldn't be shocked when you entered the room and found me here." Jamie snorts and shakes her head, about to close the door again when Castiel notices the wound on her shoulder. "You're hurt!" He exclaims, throwing the door open and stepping closer to her.
"I'm fine. I got shoved through a glass door on my last hunt. It's nothing. Barely even bleeding, see."
Dean and Sam are standing in an autopsy room in their FBI suits. There are hearts on a tray in front of them. "Hey." Dean hands Sam one of the hearts they're examining. "Be my Valentine?"
Sam rolls his eyes and then looks closer at the heart in his hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second. These hearts both have identical marks. Check this out. It looks like some kind of letter. Oh, no."
"What?" Dean glances over.
Sam looks up, frowning. "I think it's Enochian."
Dean's eyes widen and his expression becomes annoyed. "You mean like angel scratches? So you think it's like the tagging on our ribs?"
"Dean, I don't know."
"Ah, hell. Call Jamie." They take out their cellphones. Dean dials Castiel's number while Sam dials their sister's. "Cas, it's Dean. Yeah, room 31-c, basement level...St. James medical center."
"Hey Jamie?"
Castiel and Jamie appear in the room. Castiel is still holding his cellphone. "I'm there now." He says into the phone, staring at Dean.
"Yeah, I get that."
"I'm gonna hang up now."
"Right."
Jamie smirks at her brother and the angel, and then looks at the hearts. "Human hearts? Great. Cas?"
Castiel walks over to her and picks up one of the hearts. Jamie points out the symbol engraved in the muscle. "You're right, Sam. These are angelic marks. I imagine you'll find similar marks on the other couples' hearts as well—"
Sam turns to him. "So, what are they? I mean, what do they mean?"
Jamie grabs Castiel's wrist so she can better see the heart. "That's a mark of union."
Castiel nods. "This man and woman were intended to mate."
Dean tries not to look disturbed. "Okay, but who put them there?"
"Cherubs." Jamie replies without missing a beat.
The angel turns to her."Well, your people call them "Cupid. " He says, before glancing to Dean and Sam.
"Right."
"A what?" Sam asks, tiredly.
'What human myth has mistaken for "Cupid" is actually a lower order of angel." Jamie explains.
"Yeah, technically it's a cherub, third-class."
"Cherub?"
"Yeah, they're all over the world. There are dozens of them."
Dean stares at him. "You mean the little flying fat kid in diapers?"
"They're not incontinent." Dean gives Castiel a look.
Jamie snickers and shakes her head. Sam looks at her and then to Cas. "Okay, anyway. So, what you're saying—"
"What I'm saying is a Cupid has gone rogue and we have to stop him."
"Before he kills again." Jamie adds.
"Naturally." Sam says.
"Of course we do." Dean echoes, not looking the least bit thrilled.
Jamie rubs her shoulder. Castiel sees her doing this. "One more thing. Dean, will you please inspect the wound on Jamie's shoulder?"
"What?" Dean immediantly turns to Jamie, who looks pissed and elbows Cas. "You're hurt?"
"I'm fine. Castiel is just being overprotective because it's the first time he's seen me hurt where he hasn't been able to heal me."
They go out to the Impala. "Jamie rides shotgun, I want to see your shoulder." Dean says. Sam and Jamie look at each other and switch doors. They all get in.
"You'll check on her shoulder now?" Castiel asks.
Jamie groans. Dean moves over to her. "Let me see it." Jamie looks at him and then takes off her black utility jacket. She's wearing a red t-shirt underneath, but the bloodstains on the sleeve are still visible. Dean frowns. "Sam?" Sam opens the medical kit on the floor and hands Dean a clean gauze pad. "It's still bleeding, Jamie."
"It's nothing." She grabs the gauze and turns away.
Later the four of them are sitting in a restaurant. The waitress brings Dean a cheeseburger, and Sam a salad. Jamie is eating a sandwich. Dean turns to Castiel. "So, what, you just happen to know he likes the cosmos at this place?" He asks, referring to the cupid.
Jamie nods. "That's exactly what he's saying."
"This place is a nexus of human reproduction. It's exactly the kind of-" Castiel watches Dean put ketchup on his cheeseburger. "-of garden the Cupid will come to- to pollinate." He explains.
Dean puts his cheeseburger back down. Sam notices. "Wait a minute. You're not hungry?" He smirks.
"No." He pauses, seeing the looks on his brother and sister's faces. "What? I'm not hungry."
"Then you're not gonna finish that?" Castiel takes Dean's cheeseburger. Sam and Dean give him weird looks. He looks toward a couple at a table across the room. "He's here."
Sam looks around. "Where? I don't see anything."
Jamie and Castiel both notice the Valentine's day decorations and the wind that blows towards an Asian couple across the room. Jamie points. "There."
"You mean the same-side-of-the-booth couple over there?" Dean asks.
Castiel nods. "Meet me in the back." He disappears.
Dean, Jamie, and Sam join Castiel in the back room. Castiel has his hand raised out in front of him. Sam turns to their angel. "Cas, where is he?"
"I have him tethered. Zoda kama mahrana." Jamie walks forward and holds her hand up at well.
"Manifest yourself." She mutters.
"So, where is he?" A very fat and naked Cupid appears and grabs Dean in a hug. "Oof!"
"Here I am!"
"Help!" Dean yells in surprise.
"Oh, help is on the way. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Hello, you!" Cupid drops Dean and walks to Castiel. He picks Castiel up, hugging him.
"Ooh. Mmm."
"This is Cupid?"
"Yes."
"Oh hello honey." He goes to hug Jamie.
"Um hi." She pats his back.
"Oh! Oh! You're the prophetess! Oh." He hugs her again.
"Yeah." She mumbles, looking at Castiel and Dean.
"And look at you, huh?"
"No." Sam turns away but Cupid appears in front of him, hugging him too.
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"
"Is this a fight? Are we in a fight?" Dean asks, looking bewildered.
Castiel turns to look at him. "This is... Their handshake.
"I don't like it."
"No one likes it."
"Ugh." Jamie groans.
The cupid finally puts Sam down. "Mmm. What can I do for you?"
Castiel steps forward. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
Jamie steps forward. "Your targets- the ones you've marked-They're slaughtering each other."
"What? They are?" Cupid looks horrified.
Dean is trying not to look at the Cupid, but now he gets in his face."Listen, birthday suit, we know, okay? We know you been flittin' around, popping people with your poison arrow, making them murder each other!
"What we don't know is why." Castiel says.
Cupid looks bewildered and then depressed. "You think that I-Well, uh...I don't know what to say." Cupid walks away from them and cries.
Sam, Dean, Jamie, and Castiel watch. Sam looks shocked. "Should...Should somebody maybe... go talk to him?"
"Yeah, that's a good idea. Give 'em hell, Cas." Dean pats the angel's shoulder.
"Um... look. We didn't mean to," Cas looks back at the Winchesters. Sam nods, Dean gives him a thumbs up, Jamie crosses her arms and smirks. "Um...hurt your feelings." Cupid hugs Castiel. "Ugh!"
"Okay, now our angel needs a rape shower." Jamie mutters. Dean and Sam snicker.
"Love is more than a word to me, you know. I love love. I love it! And if that's wrong, I don't want to be right!"
"Yes, yes. Of course." Castiel pats the cupid awkwardly on the back. "I, uh...I have no idea what you're saying."
"I was just on my appointed rounds. Whatever my targets do after that that's nothing to do with me. I- I was following my orders. Please brother, prophetess. Read my mind. Read my mind, you'll see."
Jamie closes her eyes. Castiel stares into the cupid's eyes. Castiel and Jamie read Cupid's mind. "He's not lying." Jamie opens her eyes.
"He's telling the truth." Castiel turns back to them and walks over to Sam.
"Jiminy Christmas. Thank you."
"Wait, wait, you said-You said you were just following orders?" Dean walks forward.
"Mm-hmm."
"Whose orders?"
"Whose?" He laughs. "Heaven, silly."
"Heaven?" Jamie asks.
Dean stares at him. "Why does heaven care if Harry meets Sally?"
"Oh, mostly they don't. You know, certain bloodlines, certain destinies. Oh, like yours."
"What?" Sam asks.
Jamie groans. "Oh god."
"Yeah, the union of John and Mary Winchester-Very big deal upstairs, top priority arrangement. Mm."
"Are you saying that you fixed-up our parents?" Dean asks.
"Well, not me, but... Yeah. Well, it wasn't easy, either. Ooh, they couldn't stand each other at first. But when we were done with them-Perfect couple."
Jamie shakes her head. "Perfect?"
"Yeah."
"They're dead!" Dean yells.
"I'm sorry, but... the orders were very clear. You, Jamie, and Sam needed to be born. Your parents were just, uh...meant to be." He starts to sing. "A match made in heaven- heaven!"
Dean rears back and punches Cupid in the chest. He whirls around and grabs his fist. "Son of a bitch!" Cupid disappears. Jamie walks forward and grabs Dean's hand. "Where is he? Where'd he go?!"
"I believe you upset him." Castiel tells him.
"Upset him?!"
"Dean. Enough!" Sam says, walking forward.
"What?"
"You just punched a Cupid!"
"I punched a dick!"
Sam raises an eyebrow. "Um...Are we gonna talk about what's been up with you lately or not?"
"Or not."
Jamie lets go of Dean and shakes her head as Dean brushes past her on his way out. Sam sighs and rolls his eyes. Jamie looks at Castiel. "Cas, next time just leave me at Bobby's."
Back in their motel room Sam explains the demon attack to Dean and Jamie. Jamie looks down at the briefcase. "What the hell does a demon got to do with this, anyway?" Dean asks.
"Believe me, I got no idea."
Jamie looks up at her twin. "You okay, Sam?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be all right." He tells her.
"Alright."
Dean looks at the briefcase. "Let's crack her open. What's the worst that could happen, right?" They open the briefcase and a bright light escapes.
"Whoa!" Sam exclaims. He and Dean shield their eyes but Jamie stares right into it.
"What the hell was that?" Dean asks. He looks at Jamie, giving her a weird look.
"Oh my god." Jamie rushes over to her bag and starts going through it.
Castiel appears. "It's a human soul. It's starting to make sense." Castiel takes a bite out of his burger.
"Now, what about that makes sense?" Sam asks.
"And when did you start eating?" Dean adds.
"Exactly. My hunger- it's a clue, actually."
"For what?" The boys asks at the same time.
"This town is not suffering from some love-gone-wrong effect. It's suffering from hunger. Starvation, to be exact-Specifically..."
"Famine." Jamie opens her journal.
Sam turns to his sister. "Famine? As- as in the horseman?"
Jamie nods. "The black rider."
"Great. Th- th-that's freaking great." Dean shakes his head, turning and walking towards the window.
Sam walks toward his sister and looks at her journal. "I thought famine meant starvation, like as in, you know, food."
Castiel nods. "Yes. Absolutely. But not just food. I mean, everyone seems to be starving for something-Sex, attention, drugs, love..."
Jamie looks at her brothers. "He infects people with those desires."
Dean walks back over to them. "Well, that explains the puppy-lovers that Cupid shot up."
Jamie nods. "Right. The cherub made them crave love, and then Famine came…"
"And he made them rabid for it." Castiel finishes.
Dean looks at the angel. "Okay, but what about you? I mean, since when do angels secretly hunger for White Castle?"
" It's my vessel- Jimmy. His, uh, appetite for red meat has been touched by Famine's effect?"
Dean looks at Jamie and then Cas. "So, Famine just rolls into town and everybody goes crazy?"
Jamie's eyes widen. She sees Famine exit a large black SUV- he is guarded by a group of demons. "And then will come Famine riding on a black steed. He will ride into the land of plenty... "She sees Famine and his demons enter a Biggerson's restaurant. "... and great will be the Horseman's hunger, for he is hunger." The restaurant patrons and staff are taken over by their hungers stuffing themselves with food drink, pills - one waitress takes all the money from the register, another couple starts kissing passionately. "His hunger will seep out and poison the air."
She blinks and shakes her head. Dean and Sam stare at her. Castiel frowns. "Famine is hungry. He must devour the souls of his victims."
"So, that's what was in the briefcase-The twinkie dude's soul?" Dean asks.
"Lucifer has sent his demons to care for Famine, to feed him, make certain he'll be ready." Castiel explains.
"Ready for what?" Sam asks. Castiel and Jamie both look up at him.
"To March across the land."
Sam stands by the sink and wipes his face with a cold washcloth.
"Famine?" Dean says as though he doesn't believe it.
"Yes." Castiel answers through a mouthful of cheeseburger.
"So, what, this whole town is just gonna eat, drink, and screw itself to death?" Sam asks. Jamie looks over at him.
"We should probably stop it." Jamie crosses her arms and looks at her brothers.
Dean looks at her. "Yeah, that's a great idea. How?"
"How did you stop the last horseman you met?" Castiel asks.
"War got his mojo from this ring. And after we cut it off, he just tucked tail and ran. And everybody that was affected, it was like they woke up out of a dream. You think Famine's got a class ring, too?" Dean asks.
"I know he does." Castiel says.
Jamie sighs. "Great."
"Well, okay. L- let's track him down and get to chopping."
"Yeah." The angel eyes his empty fast food bad sadly.
Sam is still cooling off his face and neck by the sink , he breathes heavily trying to calm down. Jamie glances back at him. She slips away from Dean's side and goes over to Sam.
"What are you, the Hamburglar?"
"I've developed a taste for ground beef."
Jamie touches Sam's shoulder. He jerks and then looks at her.
"Well, have you even tried to stop it?"
Jamie stares at her twin. Her jaw drops slightly. He frowns.
"I'm an angel. I can stop anytime I want."
Sam's heartbeat is loud enough that Jamie can hear it drumming in his chest. He grabs the sink and gasps. Jamie reaches out and wraps her hand over his clenched fingers.
"Whatever. Sam, Jamie, let's roll."
"Dean?" Jamie calls softly. Dean turns back to his brother and sister.
"Dean...I, um...I can't. I can't go."
"What do you mean?"
Jamie looks at their brother. "It's gotten to him. Sam's infected."
"What?"
"I think I'm hungry for it..."
"Hungry for what?"
"You know."
"Demon blood?" Sam hangs his head. Jamie grips his hand. "You got to be kidding me." Dean turns to Castiel. "You got to get him out of here. You got to beam him to, like, Montana. Anywhere but here."
Castiel shakes his head. "It won't work. He's already infected. The hunger is just gonna travel with him."
"Well, then, what do we do?"
"You go cut that bastard's finger off." Sam tells him.
Jamie nods. "You heard him."
"But, guys...before you go, you better...you better lock me down - but good." Sam tells them.
Dean cuffs Sam to the bathroom sink pipe. Jamie wets a rag and puts it to Sam's forehead and face. "You're going to be alright, Sam." She tells him.
Dean nods. "All right, well, just hang in there. We'll be back as soon as we can."
"Be careful. And... hurry."
Dean turns to their sister. "Jamie, you stay here and watch him."
Jamie looks at him. "What if you need my help? Famine could know we're here. He could set a trap for you."
"Cas and I can take care of it. I need you to watch Sammy."
Jamie stares at him for a moment and then nods. "Alright." Castiel and Dean exit the bathroom, and Castiel blocks the bathroom door with a dresser. Jamie sits down on the tub. Sam struggles against the cuffs. Jamie gets up and gets the rag again. Sam struggles. "Hey. Hey. Look at me. It's okay."
"How come you're not…" She dabs his face with the cloth.
"What? How come I'm not what?"
"Affected. Like everyone else. Ahh. Mmm." Sam groans and squeezes his eyes shut.
Jamie sighs. "It's prophet mojo. Neutral party, immune to all the party tricks. Even in exile."
Sam struggles against the cuffs. "Ugh!" He's going to rip the pipe off the sink. Jamie grabs unto his arms, but then stops. They hear the dresser being moved, unblocking the bathroom door.
"Dean?" Jamie gets up, and goes into the tub.
"Guys, what happened? I don't think it worked. I think I'm still—" The bathroom door opens, and two demons enter."...still hungry. Jamie?" He glances towards the shower.
"Look at this. Someone trussed you up for us. Boss says we can't kill you...but I bet we can break off a few pieces." The female demon says.
The male demon leans down and breaks Sam's cuffs. Jamie jumps out of the shower. She kicks him and then waves her hand, violently throwing him back and he crashes into the shower wall. "Ugh!"
Sam leaps up and tackles the female demon and brings her crashing down onto the glass table in the main room. He grabs a shard of glass and stabs her in the throat with it. Sam latches onto the female demon's neck and starts drinking her blood.
"Sam!" Jamie yells.
"Ugh! Get him off! Get him off!" The male demon flings Jamie backward into the wall and tries to pull Sam off of the female demon, but can't budge him. We hear Sam's shirt tear. The male demon grabs a piece of wood and attempts to hit Sam with it, but Jamie rushes out and flings the male demon against the wall. He groans and Sam gets up.
"Wait your turn."
"Sammy." She steps back seeing the blood all over Sam's face and female demon dead. Sam looks at her. He rushes to the male demon and begins to drain his blood as well. Jamie rushes towards him and then stops, hit with visions. She sees Dean with Famine. "Sam! Famine has Dean."
Sam looks up. They stare at each other and then rush out the door.
"Doesn't take much-hardly a push. Oh, America-all-you-can-eat, all the time. Consume, consume. A swarm of locusts in stretch pants. And yet, you're all still starving because hunger doesn't just come from the body, it also comes from the soul." Famine is saying. Dean is held by two demons. Several others are behind him.
Dean looks at him. "It's funny, it doesn't seem to be coming from mine."
"Yes. I noticed that. Have you wondered why that is? How you could even walk in my presence?"
"Well, I like to think it's because of my strength of character."
"I disagree." Famine moves closer to Dean and touches him. Dean struggles and groans. "Yes. I see. That's one deep, dark nothing you got there, Dean. Can't fill it, can you? Not with food or drink. Not even with sex."
"Oh, you're so full of crap."
"Oh, you can smirk and joke and lie to your brother and sister, lie to yourself, but not to me! I can see inside you, Dean. I can see how broken you are, how defeated. You can't win, and you know it. But you just keep fighting. Just... keep going through the motions. You're not hungry, Dean, because inside, you're already...dead."
"Get away from him." Jamie walks into the restaurant, cracking her neck as she stares down the Horseman.
"Let him go." Sam steps in beside her.
Famine turns to face Sam and Jamie. Sam's face is stained with blood. "Jamie, Sam..."
"Jamie, Sammy, no!" Dean tells them. Two of the five demons guarding Famine move to attack them.
"Stop! You are not allowed to attack the Prophetess and no one lays a finger on this sweet little boy. Sam, I see you got the snack I sent you." Famine moves towards them.
"You sent?" Sam asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't worry. You're not like everyone else. You'll never die from drinking too much. You're the exception that proves the rule. Just the way...Satan wanted you to be. So... "Famine lifts his hands and gestures at the demons guarding him "cut their throats. Have at them!"
"Sammy, no!"
Jamie looks at her brother. "Shut up, Dean."
"Please, be my guest."
Sam lifts his hand, closes his eyes, and pulls all five demons from their hosts at once. Jamie is stoic, but Dean watches in shock. The demon smoke pools on the floor. Sam lowers his hand. "No."
"Well...Fine. If you don't want them...then I'll have them." Famine devours all five of the demon souls. Sam steps forward and extends his hand toward Famine. "I'm a Horseman, Sam. Your power doesn't work on me."
Jamie steps forward by Sam's side, raising her hand as well. "No, but mine will."
"And mine will work on them." Jamie squeezes her hand, causing Famine to choke while Sam uses his power to rip out all the souls Famine consumed.
"Aahh!"
Sam's nose bleeds with the effort. Jamie grabs his free hand with her own. They clench their teeth together. The demon souls explode out of Famine and Famine slumps, his eyes empty. Dean looks at Sam and Jamie, as does Castiel.
Castiel, Jamie, and Dean stand outside the panic room door. Dean leans against the wall and drinks. In the panic room - Sam screams. "Let me out of here, please! Help!"
"God." Jamie closes her eyes and puts her forehead on Cas's shoulder. Castiel pats her shoulder and then looks at Dean.
"That's not him in there. Not really."
"I know."
Sam screams again and Jamie moves away. "I'm going to try to help him."
"Dean, Sam just has to get it out of his system. Then he'll be—"
"Listen, I just, uh...I just need to get some air." Dean leaves. Jamie looks at Castiel and then goes inside the panic room.
