As the little girl led the clown down the hallway, Angel, Dean and Sam were already hiding in wait, weapons ready.
"Wanna see Mommy and Daddy? They're upstairs."
Angel leapt out and grabbed the girl away from the clown. She instantly started screaming and thrashing around in Angels arms. As she shielded the girl, Dean and Sam shot the clown in the chest. It fell on its back but got back up as the boys cocked their guns again.
"Sam watch out!"
Dean yelled as the clown barreled towards his brother but instead, leapt out the window, turning invisible as it ran away. The parents came rushing into the room.
"What's going on here?" The father glared at the three intruders, "Get away from my-"
The mother screamed, "Oh my god, what are you doing to my daughter?!"
"Who the hell are you?" Angel instantly let the girl go and put her hands up as she backed away, "Get out! Get out of my house!"
"Time to go. Time to go." Angel instructed hurriedly as she turned, "Now, run, run, run."
"Mommy, Daddy! They shot my clown!"
"Well, one thing's for sure." Dean said after they changed the plates on the Transam and made their way back on the road, "We're not dealing with a spirit. I mean, that rock salt hit something solid."
Angel shook her head, "Couldn't be a person could it?"
Sam offered, "Or maybe a creature that can make itself invisible?"
"Yeah, and dresses up like a clown for kicks?" Dean scoffed, "Did it say anything in Dad's journal?"
Sam cleared his throat as he pulled out his cell, "Nope."
"Who are you calling?" Angel looked at him from the rearview, "Clown busters?"
"Maybe Ellen or that guy Ash'll know something." Sam leaned forward, "Hey, you think, uh, you think Dad and Ellen ever had a thing?"
Dean shook his head immediately, "No way."
"Nah."
"Then why didn't he tell us about her?"
"I don't know, maybe they had some sort of falling out."
Angel motioned her head, "Now that i can believe."
"Yeah…" Sam nodded, "You ever notice Dad had a falling out with just about everybody?"
Angel kept her eyes on the road without answering. Dean nodded casually and a silence fell between them in the car.
Sam angered and quickly hung up his phone, "Well, don't get all maudlin on me, guys."
"What does that mean?"
"I mean this whole strong silent thing you've got going is crap, Dean. And pretending everything's okay isn't healthy either, Angel."
Dean groaned, "Oh, god."
"Sam-"
"I'm over it. This isn't just anyone we're talking about. This is Dad. I know how you two felt about the man."
"You know what, back off, all right?" Dean yelled, "Just because we're not caring and sharing like you want us to-"
"No, no, no, that's not what this is about, Dean. I don't care how you guys deal with this, but you have to deal with it. Guys, I'm your brother, alright? I just want to make sure you guys are okay."
"For Christ sake we're fine, Sam!" Angel bellowed then took a minute to get herself together, "We're fine, okay? Just… stop asking, please."
"I swear, the next person who asks me if I'm okay, I'm gonna start throwing punches." Dean scoffed, "These are your issues, quit dumping them on us!"
"What are you talking about?"
"He's talking about the fact that you've got this sudden interest and obedience in Dad." Angel shook her head, "Which is great, really, but it would've been nice if you did it while he was alive."
"Sam, you spent your entire life slugging it out with that man. I mean, hell, you picked a fight with him the last time you ever saw him. And now that he's dead, now you want to make it right? Well, I'm sorry Sam, but you can't. It's too little, too late."
Sam scoffed, hurt from their words, "Why are you saying this to me?"
"Because you need to be honest with yourself about this. I'm dealing with Dad's death, Angel is dealing with Dad's death, are you?"
Sam swallowed as he leaned back in the car upset, trying to reign in his emotions.
When Angel pulled up to the hotel Sam rushed out of the car, "I'm going to call Ellen."
Angel frowned, guilt filling her as she watched him walk off, "Sam…"
Later on…
Sam walked through the door after hanging up the phone, "Rakshasa."
Angel raised a brow, "What?"
"That's what we're dealing with, Ellen's best guess. It's a race of ancient Hindu creatures. They appear in human form, they feed on human flesh, they can make themselves invisible, and they cannot enter a home without first being invited."
Dean nodded, "So they dress up like clowns, and the children invite 'em in."
"Yeah."
"Well…" Angels brows furrowed, "Why don't they just munch the kids then?"
"No idea. Not enough meat on the bones, maybe?"
Dean motioned, "What else'd you find out?"
"Well, apparently, Rakshasas live in squalor. They sleep on a bed of dead insects."
Disgust filled Angel, "Oh, ew."
"Yeah, and they have to feed a few times every twenty or thirty years. Slow metabolism, I guess."
"Well, that makes sense. I mean, the Carnival today, the Bunker Brothers in '81…"
"Right. Probably more before that."
"Boys…" Angel pursed her lips, "Who do we know that worked both shows?"
Sam thought for a second, "Cooper?"
Dean nodded as realization filled him as well, "Cooper."
"Oh yeah." Angel nodded, "That picture he had of his father looked just like him."
"You think maybe it was him?"
"Maybe." Angel shrugged, "Who knows how old he is?"
Dean looked to Sam, "Did Ellen say how to kill him?"
"Legend goes, a dagger made of pure brass."
Dean grinned, "I think I know where to get one of those."
"Well, before we go stabbing things into Cooper, we're going to want to make damn sure it's him."
"Oh, you're such a stickler for details, Sammy." They all smiled at that before Dean snapped his fingers, "Let's get down to the carnival. You two go check if Cooper's got bed bugs."
Angel rolled her eyes, "Of course you'd give me the bug job."
At the carnival…
Sam quickly picked the lock on Cooper's trailer as Angel kept watch. Once inside, they spread out. Angel started snooping as Sam pulled out a pocket knife and started slicing open the mattress to look for the bugs. When a shotgun cocked behind them, they turned to see Cooper standing and pointing the gun between them.
"What do you two think you're doing?"
"Uh, um…" Angel looked at Sam before she gave Cooper a weary smile, "We we can explain…"
With Dean…
"Well, I've got all kinds of knives. I don't know if I've got a brass one, though." The blind man led Dean into his trailer and tapped a trunk with his cane, "Check the trunk."
Dean opened the trunk and found a red clown wig. Realization hit him at the sight and he stood slowly.
"You?"
The Blind Man dropped his cane, pulled off his glasses and showed that his eyes were normal.
"Me."
His eyes got cloudy as his face began to melt. With a wave, he disappeared; cheshire-cat style with his eyes glowing last.