"Maybe I cheated," says Dean, though he hasn't thought of it like that until now. To be fair, he isn't entirely equipped to understand everything that Kisuke's throwing at him, but he wants to get this right.

"I've been reduced to my soul before. Dead," says Dean frankly, "And most definitely under duress. It was nothing like this, and whatever power I might have found at that time, I don't want it now. I don't want anything like it. I just want what you can give me. Like what Rukia has. She does good." Dean squares his shoulders, mouth a thin, determined line.

"That's all I want."