The Three Winchesters

Playthings

MOTEL ROOM - PEORIA, ILLINOIS

Ellie is sitting at a table with her laptop, in front of a motel room wall which is covered in maps, hand-written notes, and a missing poster showing Ava's face. Ellie smiles at how similar the set up is to how her dad used to hunt, she looks over to Sam who is on the phone to Ellen. 
"Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Ellen." Sam says as he hangs up, Dean enters the room with three cups of coffee while Ellie turns to Sam.
"What'd she have to say?" Ellie asks Sam. 
"Oh, she's got nothing." Sam tells her. 
"Well, I've checked every database I can think of - federal, state, and local. No one has heard anything about Ava, she just..." Ellie closes her laptop and clicks her fingers. "into thin air, you know?" Ellie says. Dean and Sam both nod, Dean hands Sam and Ellie a cup of coffee.
"What about you?" Sam asks his brother.
"No, same as before. Sorry, man." Dean says softly as he sits next to Ellie. 
"Ellen did have one thing." Sam tells them, Dean and Ellie look up at their brother with raises eyebrows. "A hotel in Cornwall, Connecticut. Two freak accidents in the past three weeks." 
"Yeah? What's that have to do with Ava?" Dean asks.
"It's a job. I mean, a lady drowned in the bathtub; then a few days ago a guy falls down the stairs, head turns a complete 180. Which isn't exactly normal, you know? Look, I don't know, it might be nothing, but I told Ellen we'd think about checking it out." Sam shrugs, the conversation Sam had on the phone now clicks in Ellie's head as she heard the call, Dean looks at him surprised.
"You did?" He asks.
"Yeah. You seem surprised." Sam says as he furrows his eyebrows. 
"Well yeah, it's just, you know, not the, uh, patented Sam Winchester way, is it?" Dean tells him, Ellie smirks at this and shakes her head. 
"What way is that?" Sam challenges.
"I just figured after Ava there'd be, uh, you know, more angst and droopy music and staring out the rainy windows, and-" Dean stops when Sam gives him a look, Ellie laughs. "Yeah, I'll shut up now." Dean says causing Ellie to laugh again.
"Look. I'm the one who told her to go back home. Now her fiance's dead and some demon has taken her off to God knows where. You know? But we've been looking for a month now, and we've got nothing. So I'm not giving up on her, but I'm not going to let other people die either. We've got to save as many people as we can." Sam explains, Ellie and Dean raise their eyebrows in surprise at their brother's statement.
"Wow. That attitude is just way too unhealthy for me, and I'm officially uncomfortable now. Thank you." Ellie jokes to Sam, who then ducks his head and laughs as Dean chuckles. 
"All right, call Ellen. Tell her we'll take it." Dean tells Sam. 

PIERPOINT INN - DAY

The three Winchesters park up in front of the inn. Dean gets out of the car and smiles.
"This is sweet. I never get to work jobs like this." Dean states, Ellie gets out and looks at her brother confused.
"Like what?" She asks.
"Old school haunted houses, you know? Fog, and secret passageways... sissy British accents. Might even run into Fred and Daphne while we're inside." Dean tells them, Ellie chuckles as he closes his eyes briefly. "Mmm, Daphne. Love her." As they go up the steps, Ellie notices an urn on the side of the porch. 
"Hey, wait a sec." Ellie tells them, Dean and Sam turn around as she inspects the urn more closely. "I'm not so sure haunted's the problem." 
"What do you mean?" Dean asks. 
"You see this pattern here?" Ellie taps a five-point symbol engraved in the urn. "That's a quincunx, that's a five-spot." Ellie explains.
"Five-spot." Dean repeats, Ellie nods. "That's used for hoodoo spellwork, isn't it?" 
"Right, yeah. You fill this thing with bloodweed and you've got a powerful charm to ward off enemies." Sam adds on, Ellie nods. 
"Yeah, except I don't see any bloodweed. Don't you think this place is a little too, uh, whitemeat for hoodoo?" Dean looks at his brother and sister. 
"Maybe." Ellie shrugs. 

Dean and Sam enter while Ellie stays outside looking for more urns, looking around at the quiet interior, a woman whose badge says Susan enters briskly. 
"May I help you?" She asks. 
"Hi, yeah, I'd like a room for a couple of nights." Dean tells her. As Sam moves in, a young girl darts in front of his legs. 
"Hey!" Susan shouts after the little girl. She looks at Sam. "Sorry about that." 
"No problem." Sam says. 
"Well, um, congratulations, you could be some of our final guests." Susan explains.
"Well. Sounds vaguely ominous." 
"No, I'm sorry, I mean we're closing at the end of the month." She explains, Ellie walks in the front door looking at the artwork. 
"Well, let me guess. You guys are here antiquing?" Susan questions. Ellie smirks while Dean looks at Sam. 
"How'd you know?" Dean breathes out, forcing a fake smile.
"Oh, you just look the type." Susan explains, Ellie stifles a laugh while Dean and Sam look vaguely uncomfortable.
"So, uh, king-sized bed?" Susan asks. Ellie whips her head around at this to watch the conversation with a wide smile.
"What? No, uh, no, we're, we're, do you have three single? We're just siblings." Sam points back to Ellie, Susan looks at her and she gives a small wave.
"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see your sister come in." 
"What'd you mean that we look the type?" Dean asks. Susan has trouble articulating an answer.
"You know, speaking of antiques, you have a really, really interesting urn on the front porch. Where did you get that?" Ellie asks changing the subject. 
"Oh, I have no idea, it's been there forever." Susan answers, she hands Dean a key. "Here you go, Mr. Mahagov, it's two beds and a sofa bed." Susan smiles. 
"Thanks." Dean takes the key. Susan dings the bell.
"You'll be staying in room 237. Sherwin, could you show these three to their rooms?" As she says this, the three turn to see an old, balding man in a black blazer shuffling up behind them.
"Let me guess. Antiquers?" Sherwin says, causing Ellie to laugh again while Dean and Sam look uncomfortable. Sherwin drags Dean's clunking duffel bag behind him, up the steps, as the three siblings follow.
"I could give you a hand with that bag." Dean tells him, looking obviously uncomfortable with watching the old man struggling. 
"I got it."
"So the hotel's closing up, huh?" Ellie asks.
"Yep. Miss Susan tried to make a go of it, but the guests just don't come like they used to. Still, it's a damn shame." Sherwin tells them.
"Oh yeah?" Ellie says. 
"It may not look it anymore, but this place was a palace. Two different vice-presidents laid their heads on our pillows. My parents worked here, I practically grew up here. Gonna miss it. Here's your room." He slips the key in the lock and opens the door, handing the key to Sam as him and Ellie brush past. Dean turns to shut the door and Sherwin is standing there expectantly. "You're not gonna... cheap out on me, are you, boy?" Dean shrugs, looks annoyed as he pulls out his wallet, Ellie laughs hearing the conversation.