~*****~

Dean stepped into the motel room with snackage as Sam and I continued to scour the internet and connections to see if anyone had seen Ava. "What'd she have to say?" Dean asks as he hears Sam get off the phone with Ellen.

"She's got nothing. Me? I've been checking every database I can think of, Federal, State, and Local." Sam explained. "No one's heard anything about Ava. She just... Into thin air, you know? What about you?"

Sam asked over his shoulder. "Same as before. Sorry, man," Dean apologized. "You got anything, Lottie?" Dean asks as he hands me my coffee.

"The hunters I've been keeping up with have no clue either. But they're still looking." I explain.

"Ellen did have one thing," Sam started. "A hotel in Cornwall, Conneticut-- Two freak accidents in the past three weeks."

"Yeah, what's that have to do with Ava?" Dean asks as he takes a seat besides me.

"It's a job. Lottie said she wanted to hunt- Why not sate the appetite." Sam suggested.

"I'm down- I'm going stir crazy in here." I mentioned.

"I mean, a lady drowned in the bathtub, then a few days ago, a guy falls down the stairs, head turns a complete 180." Sam explained.

"Yeah, not exactly normal." I chime. "It might be nothing, Dean, but I'm itching to get out of here. Maybe we'll have something on Ava when we get back." I pleaded. "Sam's already told Ellen we'd think about checkin' it out."

"You did?" Dean asked his brother.

"Yeah," Sam answered. Dean remained silent as he gazed at his brother. "You seem surprised."

"Yeah, it's just... You know... Not the patented Sam Winchester way, is it?" Dean retorted.

"What way is that?" Sam asked with a smirk.

"Just figured after Ava, there'd be, you know, more angst and droopy music and staring out the rainy windows." Dean explained.

"Oh, stop it, Dean." I snapped. He gave me a lopsided grin before agreeing to shut up.

"Look, I'm the one who told her to go back home," Sam explained. "Now, her fiance's dead, and some demon has taken her off to God knows where, you know? We've been lookin' for a month now. And we got nothing. So, I'm not giving up on her, but I'm not gonna let other people die, either. We got to save as many people as we can."

Dean just sighed softly. "Wow. That attitude is just way too healthy for me. I'm officially uncomfortable now. Thank you." Dean teased.

I snorted and pinched Dean's cheek. "Call Ellen, Sammy. Tell her we'll take it." I stated as Dean tried to bite at my hand. Sam smiled and left the room to make the call.

"Anyone ever tell you how beautiful you look?" Dean asks as he tunnels his hands into my hair for a kiss.

"Mmm... You do, but you should say it more often." I teased.

"Have any nightmares lately?" He asked in all seriousness.

"No- thank god- I'm knockin' on wood." I explain sheepishly.

"You can knock on my wood." He suggested.

"Oh, hell, Dean!" I snort and laugh before standing up. "We gotta get packin'." I chortle.

"I'll show you what I'm packin', just ask, sweet heart!" Dean throws back.

"Good god!" I giggle wildly as Dean wraps his arms around me.

~*****~

After a much needed quickie in the bathroom, we were finally on the road. It took a few hours, but we arrived at the hotel without any delays. I gazed up at the old house in wonder. "You know, statistically speaking, this probably will be one pissed off poltergeist." I mentioned.

"Probably, but let's investigate first, all right?" Sam hums.

"But, dude, this is sweet." Dean grinned. "I never get to work jobs like this."

"Like what?" Sam asks as he lugs his backpack over his shoulder. Dean grabbed his duffel, and just as he goes for mine, Sam swipes it and throws it over his backpack.

"Old school haunted houses!" Dean sends me a grin. "Fog, secret passageways, sissy british accents." Sam and I scoffed in amusement. "Might even run into Fred and Daphne while we're inside."

"Your wet dream." I tease as I bound up the steps.

"Mmm, Daphne-- Love her." Dean chuckles.

"Hey, wait a sec-" Sam says as I grasp onto the handle. I turn my head. "I'm not so sure haunted's the problem." Sam mentions as he gazes at a symbol on a outside fixture.

"What do you mean?" Dean asks.

"Whoa, archaic." I mention as I get closer.

"See this pattern here?" Sam asks. "That's a quincunx. It's a five spot."

"Five spot?" Dean murmurs.

"Yeah," I hum. "That's like... Hoodoo spell work. You fill this with blood weed, you got a powerful charm to ward off enemies."

"Yeah, except I don't see any blood weed." Dean mentions. "Don't you think this place is a little to, uh... White meat for hoodoo?"

Sam huffs. "Maybe." He retorts with a shrug.

"Come on. Let's go in." I gesture to the doors and slip my palm into Dean's. The doors creak as they open, and the inside is very nice. 

"May I help you?" A woman asks as she steps behind the counter.

"Hi. Yeah, I'd like a room for a couple of nights." Dean states. Two girls run through the lobby and bumping into Sam as they go.

"Hey!" She yelps after them. "Sorry about that." She apologizes.

"No problem. Sam's a big lug, nothing's knocking him down." I mention as I reach over to pat his chest.

"Well, uhm, congratulations. You could be some of our final guests." The woman explains.

"Well, sounds vaguely ominous." Dean mutters.

"No, I'm sorry." The woman quickly says. "I mean, we're closing at the end of the month. Let me guess- you guys are here antiquing?"

Dean shared a look with Sam and I before answering. "How'd you know?"

"You just... Look the type."

I pursed my lips to stave off the chortle of amusement.

"So, uh... King sized bed?" She asked. "And I'm guessing you'll want a room to yourself?" The woman asks me.

I'm busting up with laughter by then as Sam immediately jumps in. "What? No. No, no. we're-- They're a couple- We're brothers." Sam quickly cut in.

"Oh- Uh, my bad. You look the type to.... I don't know. Not... Never mind." She explains as her cheeks turn scarlet.

"What did you mean that we looked the type?" Dean asks. I bust out laughing again.

"Speaking, of antiques!" I yelp out as I try to alleviate my laughter. "You have  a really interesting urn on the front porch. Where did you get that?"

"You know, I have no idea. It's been there forever. Here you go, Mrs. Mahogoff." She hands me Dean's card. "Sorry for the uhm... Mix up, Mr. Mahogoff." She apologizes to Dean. She hits the bell and turns around. "You'll be staying in room 237. Sherwin, could you show the Lady and the Gentlemen to their room?"

The old man looked between the three of us. "Let me guess- Antiquers?" Sherwin took our bags and lead us upstairs.

"I can give you hand with that bag." Dean mentioned to the old man hauling the heavy bag down the hall.

"No, I got it!"

"So- The hotel's closin' up, huh?" I ask.

"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."

"Oh yeah?"

"It may not look it anymore, but this place was a palace. Two different vice presidents laid their heads on our pillows." Sherwin recounted. "My parents worked here. I practically grew up here. I'm gonna miss it. Here's your room." Sherwin says as he stops by room 237. He unlocks it with the key and the door slowly falls open. He holds out the key to Sam.

"Thanks." Sam mutters and steps in. I give Sherwin a friendly smile before following.

~*****~

I gaze at the white dress on the wall as my cheeks start to flush. 'Why am I thinking about wedding dresses? God, Dean would never go for a marriage.' I pinch at my side to stop the stupid gushy feelings from arising.

Dean's laughter echoed out from behind me. "What the--" He trailed off as he gazed up at the dress with me.

"What?" Sam asks.

Dean gestures to the dress. "That's normal. Why the hell would anyone stay here? I'm amazed they kept in business this long." Dean muttered. I pushed out my lower lip in frustration.

"Anyway!" I snap as I plop down next to Sam. "Victim number one--  Joan Edison, 43 years old, a realtor handling the sale of the hotel. And Victim number two was Larry Williams, moving some stuff out to Goodwill."

"There's a connection- They're both tied up in shutting the place down." Dean commented after sitting on the unbearably creaky bed.

"Yeah, maybe someone here doesn't wanna leave, and they're using Hoodoo to fight back." Sam continued.

"Who do you think our witch doctor is? Susan?" Dean asked.

"No, that doesn't seem likely. She's the one selling." I mentioned.

"So, what, then, Sherwin?" Dean asks.

"I don't know." Sam mutters.

"Of course, the troubling question is, why do these people assume we're gay?" Dean asks. I bust out laughing again.

"Well, you are kinda butch." Sam quips back. I start heaving. "Probably thinking your over compensating." Dean makes a mocking face as I fall to the floor.

~*****~

"God, this place is well taken care of- It's a shame it's closing." I mention lightly. I gaze out over the railing and down at the lobby.

"Hey, guys," Sam hummed as he grasped at a vase besides him in curiosity. "Look at that-"

Dean and I gaze down into the vase. "More Hoodoo." I mention. Dean silently steps towards the side door that's marked PRIVATE, and knocks on it.

It finally opens, and the hotel manager appears. "Hi, there!" Dean mentions.

"Hi, everything okay with your room?" Susan asks.

"Yeah, yeah," The men mention quickly. I shake my head at their less than convincing attitude.

"Every things, great-" I add quickly.

It's an awkward silence for a moment. "Well, I was just in the middle of packing." She mentions casually.

"Hey, are those antique dolls?" I quickly ask as I push myself between Sam and Dean. "'Cause Sammy here- He's got a major doll collection back home," I lie. "Don't ya." I state with a smile.

Sam gave me his bitch face, and rolled his eyes before answering. "Big time," He answers hesitantly.

"Big time," Dean echoes. "You think we could come in and take a look?"

"I don't know," She respond uncertainly.

"Please?" Dean quickly interrupts her. "He loves them. He's not gonna tell you this, but he's always dressin' 'em up in little outfits. You'd make his day." Dean explains. "She would. Huh? Huh?"

Sam gives another bitch face before answering yet again hesitantly. "Yes, it's true." Sam admits.

Susan smiles in an amused fashion before agreeing. "Okay, come on in."

"All right. All right." Dean grins to his brother. Sam shoots a glare back to the two of us as the two of us clap his shoulders excitedly. The three of us enter the room. "Wow." Dean hums as he looks around finally. "This is a lot of dolls. They're nice, you know. They're not super creepy at all."

"No, honey- they're insanely creepy." I mention to Dean nervously. "Christ- How did you sleep with all these things staring at you?"

"They've been in the family forever. I guess I got used to it." Susan explains.

"What is this?" Sam asks softly. "The hotel?"

"Yeah, that's right. Exact replica, custom-built." She explains.

I move around Sam cautiously and peer into the dollhouse. I kneel down and pick up a doll resembling a milk man. "His head got twisted around," I mention as I stand back up. I hold up the doll. "What happened to it?"

"Tyler, probably." Susan responds.

"Mommy?" The voice of a little girl echoes from the room. Tyler runs into the room and looks at her mom. "Maggie's being mean."

Susan gave her a stern look. "Tyler, tell her I said to be nice, okay?"

"Hey, sweetie?" I hum softly as I hold up her doll. "I see you broke your doll. You want me to fix it?"

"I didn't break it," She responded quickly. "I found it like that." She says in a matter of fact tone.

I chuckled softly. "Well, maybe Maggie did it."

"No, neither of us did." She defends quickly. "Grandma would get mad if broke him."

"Tyler, she wouldn't get mad." Susan explains to her daughter.

"Grandma?" Dean interjects.

"Grandma Rose. These were all her toys." Tyler explains to Dean.

"Oh, really." Dean hums. "Where's Grandma Rose now?"

"Up in her room," Tyler answers.

"You know, I'd love to talk to Rose about her incredible doll--" Sam mentions, but Susan cuts him off.

"No," Susan snaps quickly. We all look at her curiously. "I mean, I'm afraid that's impossible. My mother's been very sick, and she's not taking any visitors."

"Well, thank you anyway." I hum and usher to men out of her room. "We'll leave you alone now." I smiled affectionately as I cast a glance to Tyler. "You have fun with Maggie, okay?" Tyler smiled up at me.

I stepped out into the hallway with Sam and Dean. "What do you think?" Dean asked.

"Dolls, Hoo-doo, mysterious shut-in Grandma?" I hum softly.

"Well, Dolls are used in all kinds of Voo-Doo and Hoo-Doo, like curses and binding spells." Sam explained softly.

"Yeah, maybe we found our witch doctor. Lottie and I will go see what we can dig up with Granny. You get online, check old orbits, freak accidents, see if she's whacked anybody before." Dean explained as he quickly looped his arm around my waist.

"Don't go surfing porn, Sammy~" I joke. "It's not the whacking we mean." Dean threw his head back with a hearty laugh.