In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, two teenagers have parked by the lake at Brayden Point. They drink and the boy, Doug, wonders where everyone has gone. The girl points out that it's cold and cuddles up to him. She's eager to make sure that no one can hear them, and then kisses Doug. As Doug pulls off his date's Claire Novak pulls Doug out of the truck and holds a sword to his neck. The girl, scared, asks Claire what she's doing. She says that Doug knows, and Doug insists that he doesn't know anything. Claire demands to know what he is. Doug doesn't respond, and Claire prepares to cut off his head.
At the bunker, Dean brings in fast food while Sam checks the Internet for a case. There's nothing on Amara, and Dean hasn't heard anything from Castiel. Dean unveils his Elvis sandwich, made with glazed doughnuts rather than a bun, and Sam gives it a pass. Claire calls Dean and asks the Winchesters to come to Sioux Falls, and Dean immediately agrees.
The next day at the local high school, a girl approaches Alex and her boyfriend Henry and says that they're going to win the prom. Jody is watching from across the street. A teacher, Stephen Phelps, goes by and warns Alex that she has 18 hours to prep for the test the next day. Jody honks the horn and Alex goes over to get r ride. She tells Jody that she has a double-practice the next day, and Jody smiles and tells Alex that she's killing it. However, Jody frowns when she catches a glimpse of birth control pills in Alex's backpack.
Jody drives home and sees the Impala parked outside the house. They go in and find the Winchesters with Claire. Alex and Claire start arguing until Jody breaks it up, and Claire says that she called the Winchesters about the monsters that Jody doesn't believe are monsters. She says that she could use them for backup and goes to make extra chicken for dinner.
At dinner, Dean and Sam dig in. Claire finally demands to get to the case, and she says that three people are missing. Jody points out that there's no evidence that they didn't skip town on their own, and one of them was seen at Brayden Point. Claire says that people are reporting unusual animals, and Sam concedes that they've hunted on less. She admits that she doesn't have anything, and Jody and Alex points out that she's spotted several other monsters that weren't. Claire insists that she's been hunting, but Jody points out that Claire has a whole series of assault charges against her.
Alex would rather talk about real life, and Claire asks her when she and henry are going out to Jody's cabin to have sex. Sam and Dean try to leave, but Jody insists that they want to say. Alex refuses to say anything, and Jody points out that she saw the birth control pills earlier. She turns to the Winchesters for support, and they're speechless. Jody warns that birth control pills are against STDs, and Alex would rather not talk about it. She insists that she hasn't done anything yet and is just trying to be prepared.
Jody excuses herself to get some more mashed potatoes, and Dean and Claire snicker. Dean then goes out to the kitchen and Jody admits that she's just holding on. She says that Claire held a sword to Doug's throat and he wants to push charges. Dean figures that Alex would have adjustment problems, and Jody says that she's been blending in. She worries that she's not their mother and doesn't have that kind of history, and Dean says that he and Sam will try to settle Claire. Jody warns that Claire has started college but hasn't been to class in weeks, and doesn't have any friends. She figures that Claire is hunting because she doesn't have anything else, and worries that she's alone. Dean says that he'll put Sam on it.
Later, Claire is in her room checking the Internet when Sam comes in. She wants him to come with her to investigate the families of the missing people, and Sam says he understands what she's going through. He warns that she doesn't have a case, and points out that she's had a lot of misses recently. Sam suggests that she's trying to escape something, and asks how things are with Alex and Jody. Claire admits that sometimes she feels like an outsider, and suggests that she leave and become a full-fledged hunter. Sam tells her that the monsters will always be there, but a family won't.
At the high school, Phelps goes to his car and the lights go out. A figure grabs him and drags him away.
The next day, Alex and Henry arrive at school and discover that Phelps is dead... and duct-taped to the top of the school flagpole. Dean, Sam, and Jody soon arrive and Jody tells them that Phelps' neck was snapped before the killer hauled him up and duct-taped him. There was some fabric near the base of the flagpole. The only thing Jody can tell them about Phelps is that he helped Alex. Claire comes over and Dean admits that there's something unusual happening. However, he tells her that she has to show Jody more respect for taking her in. Alex and Henry come over and Alex says that they canceled school and are going to hang out. Dean glares at Henry and grunts, and the two teenagers quickly leave.
Inside, Jody and Sam question the principal, Ramirez. She says that Phelps didn't have any enemies and promises to string up the bastard who did it. Meanwhile, Dean scans the school for ghost manifestations.
Sam and Jody talk to the janitor, Garret Weiler, who found Phelps' body. When Sam asks him if he noticed anything unusual, Garret claims that he doesn't. Jody points out that he doesn't seem very upset, and Garret finally admits that he was passed out at the local bar.
Dean meets Sam in the hallway and says that he hasn't found anything. Sam figures that there's something up with Garret, and the brothers figure that something is going on.
Alex and Henry walk through the park, and she dwells on what Phelps went through. She tells Henry that there are awful things out, and says that she wasn't always the girl she is now. Alex warns that she's done some bad things and hurt people, and remembers when she was finding prey for vampires. Henry assures her that everyone has done things that they're ashamed of, and says that he doesn't care what she did before. They kiss for a moment, and then Alex hugs him.
At Jody's house, Sam and Claire are researching the case when Dean and Jody come back. The crime lab has identified the fabric as asbestos, and Garret's alibi checks out. Sam has confirmed that Garret has a fake Social Security number, and Claire points out that Garret started working at the school when the disappearances started. She wants to go with Dean, wearing a suit and posing as a FBI trainee. Jody points out that she has a meeting with the registrar to get Claire reenrolled, and Claire reluctantly gives in.
That night, Jody and Claire go out to the garage. Garret knocks Jody out with a shovel and then starts choking Claire. Jody recovers and attacks Garret, and he breaks her leg and punches her in the face. She goes down and Garret drags Claire off while Jody calls the Winchesters.
The Winchesters confirm that Garrett has a fake address. Garret comes back and starts beating her, The brothers drive back and Dean finds Claire's knife and Jody's gun in the garage. The station calls to tell Jody that they’ve identified "Garret" as Richard Beesom, a trucker out of O'Neill, Nebraska who has been missing for three years. He ripped out his family's throat and exsanguinated them. Sam remembers that Alex's old nest was in O'Neill, and Dean figures that Richard was a surviving member of the vampire family that Alex worked with. Sam isn't so sure.
Sam drives Jody's truck to Richard's office at the school. Meanwhile, Dean calls Alex and tells her to stay put at the diner where she's at. Once she hangs up, Alex tells Henry to get away from her. He bares her fangs and drags her to him.
At the school, Sam enters the furnace room and finds an old map.
Dean arrives at the diner and finds Alex's cellphone behind a dumpster. He calls Sam, who says that he found an old school map. They closed down the building that used to be the pool because it had asbestos, and they figure Richard is there.
At the pool building, Richard ties up Jody and Claire near the bodies of the three missing victims. Jody admits that Claire was right, and asks why they're there. Henry comes in with Alex and they tie her up. Richard explains that his family of vampires died two years ago, and is surprised that Alex doesn't remember him. He says that three years ago he chased off a sleazebag who was taking her out of a bar. Richard thought that Alex was a prostitute and offered to drive her home. When they got there, Alex walked away as the vampires fed on Richard and turned him. When he went home and told his wife what happened, he lost control and guttered her and her boy. Alex says that the vampires made her, and Richard angrily insists that he was a good man. The only thing that kept him going was the knowledge that one day he would find Alex and make her pay.
Henry speaks up and says that Richard has been tracking Alex for months. Richard wanted her to be happy before he killed her, so that she had something precious he could take from her. He turned Henry and sent him to Alex to build her up. Richard killed her teacher and took her boyfriend. Alex is shocked that Henry faked his feelings, and he says that she was a complete freak. Claire promises that Henry is going to burn in Hell, and he ignores her and tells Alex that he could never date someone like him. Alex spits in his face and Richard holds him back. He says that Henry ran Phelps up the flagpole so the whole school could see what he did, but figures that he'll learn subtlety. Jody yells that the Winchesters are hunters and know all about Richard, and he tells her to shut up.
Alex tells Henry that he doesn't want a life of killing and running, and he says that she's the one who did it. Richard drags Claire over, and she tells him that Alex hates her. Alex offers to work for them if they let Jody and Claire go, and they can feed on her when the hunting eventually goes dry. Richard considers her offer... and then bites Claire's neck.
Sam comes into the pool room and Richard ambushes him. They fight and Henry finally knocks Sam into the pool. He jumps down and starts beating Sam, while Jody whispers to Claire to get a nearby bar. Richard picks up Sam's machete and prepares to kill Alex... and Claire runs him through. Dean arrives and decapitates him, and Claire tells him that she didn't drink the vampires' blood. Sam finally takes down Henry and drags him over to Alex. She punches him and Claire decapitates him, and Alex nods her thanks.
The next morning at Jody's home, Alex and Claire make breakfast. They tell Jody that they wanted to do something for her, Alex apologizes for Richard hurting them, and Jody assures her that they're okay. Claire tells Alex that the vampires were the ones who made her do what she had to do to survive, and Jody points out that Alex was ready to give up her life for them.
The Winchesters arrive to say goodbye. Claire tells Dean that Jody is going to teach her how to investigate, even though she figures that Claire is going to get herself killed. Sam and Claire join Alex and asks if she's going to be all right. Alex says that she's going back to school and if vampires come for her then she'll be ready. Once she gets her life together, she might move on. Claire says that Alex doesn't have to leave to protect them, and Alex says that she can't be around the things that they're fighting.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 4, 2016