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Chapter 2

Now - Two years on from Joel finding Hope in the town park.
-oOo-

"Sam...Sammy...Hey, bitch!"
Steering with one hand, Dean punched his sleeping brother's upper arm with the other.
"Wake up Samantha. We're lost in the wilderness, I need a navigator."
Rubbing where Dean had punched him, Sam opened bleary eyes and tried to focus.
"Wha..? Wilderwhere?"
"Who knows? That's kinda how lost works. Grab the map will you an' find us some place to aim for that's gotta name? My stomach's drownin' out the sound of Baby's engine it's rumblin' so loud."

Awkwardly twisting in his seat, Sam retrieved the road map off the Impala's back seat and opened it up at a random page.
"'K, what was the last signpost you saw an' roughly how long ago?"
Dean's brow furrowed, then he pursed his lips.
"Dean?"
"I'm thinkin'."
The older Hunter began quietly muttering to himself under his breath.
"What?"
"Nothin', just goin' back over the tracks I've been through while you were sleepin' as usual. They all add up to...Hell, I dunno. How's roughly forty minutes since I last noticed a road sign sound?"
"Great. What did it say?"
Dean shrugged.
"Somethin'. It had to say somethin', right? I'm sure I read it, or maybe I didn't? How about you ask me somethin' easy instead?"
Sam groaned inwardly, there were times when his older brother was enough to turn a saint into a sinner|
"Fine. How about the last sign you do remember, what did that say?"
"Ooo, wait, I know this one...Pass with care. Did I win?"
"Yeah, you won the right to pull over and hand over the keys. You're tired, you need a break from driving."
Dean shook his head in denial.
"Shammy, I'm not..."
"Shammy? There y'go. You only call me Shammy when you really need to sleep, now stop the car!"

Dean reluctantly slowed and brought the Impala to a standstill. Leaving the keys in the ignition, he climbed out of the car. Passing one another as they swapped sides, Dean growled a menacing 'Not one tiny scratch!' to Sam. Sam glanced at his sleeping brother. It had taken less than five minutes for Dean's breathing to change, signalling he was out, despite Dean trying to prove how not tired he was by regaling Sam with some tale that became more garbled until his eyes closed and he fell silent. Sam grinned and turned his watchful gaze back to the road ahead.

They had just laboured for five hard days and nights hunting and battling a large coven of fiercely feminist witches, who had a nasty habit of turning any man they felt had offended them into zombies; which basically meant virtually every man within the small mining town they had commandeered. When some of the wives tried to oust the coven, they had found themselves held in confinement as food for the zombie males. In a bizarre Hansel and Gretel tribute, females under sixteen were split into either apprentice witches or house maids; while boys under sixteen were caged and fattened up. Their heftier pals had, sadly, already been the star guests at the witch's nightly banquets. The Hunters had been aided in their quest by three of the townswomen, which had included a nerve wracking period in drag for them both. Their base had been a cold, damp shallow cave and during the case, much as they tried to avoid it, the brothers had found themselves confronted with no option but to kill four of the zombied males. The job had demanded caution, stealth and having to resort to using no small amount of dark magic to wipe out the coven. An act which had the bonus of lifting the zombie curse from it's victims. The win had been bitter sweet however, the zombies the Hunters killed all had families. Both brothers came away aching in both body and soul, grateful not to have another case awaiting their immediate attention.

Sam had intended to stop at any sign of civilisation that included a motel, hotel or any other accommodation just about fit for human habitation. Instead, he skirted around the first town he saw signposted, happy to continue enjoying the peace and the very rare privilege of driving Baby. It was that decision which eventually brought him to the hotel he booked himself and his brother into for the next two nights.

Quietly opening the passenger side door, Sam hesitated. There was no response from Dean, until Sam's revenge punch was en route to Dean's bicep. It didn't connect,. Instead Sam's wrist was gripped firmly by Dean's hand. Dean looked up at Sam and shook his head.
"Ahh my young apprentice. You should know by now it is unwise to underestimate the ninja powers of the older brother...Where are we?"
"Just outside a place called Grantsville, I've got us booked into this cool lookin' hotel. Wait till you see it!"

Getting out of the car, Dean stared over the Impala's roof in surprise at the accommodation.
"Sam, how much is this costin' us?"
Sam grinned.
"Not a whole lot more than we'd normally spend on a half descent motel, an' it includes our dinner tonight an' breakfast tomorrow."
Sam walked around to the trunk of the Impala with Dean following on.
"Seriously? We get to stay in a mini castle an' they're gonna feed us? Ok, why's it so cheap? What's the catch? No roof? The bed bugs are runnin' the place? What?"
Sam threw Dean's duffel at him.
"Dean! I didn't ask. Ok? Tell you what. Let's get inside, then you can interrogate the owner yourself."

Sam turned and strode towards the hotel's arched wooden entrance door which stood open, revealing a small entrance vestibule in which stood a fake suit of armour that would benefit from a thorough dusting. Closing the trunk, Dean jogged after his longer legged brother, grinning up at the pseudo medieval three storey stone building with it's two round towers and it's crenulations sitting oddly with it's UPVC double glazed windows.

A second internal wood panelled door led from the vestibule into the carpeted reception area which was furnished with two leather wing back chairs positioned either side of a table made from an upturned half oak barrel. A small display of silk flowers neatly arranged in a brass vase sat on it's polished top along with a selection of glossy magazines, golf and yachting for him, home style and antiques for her. The stone walls were hung around with various reproduction medieval weapons and a variety of classic shield shaped wooden plaques, all colourfully painted with heraldic designs. Wall lights and the wooden cartwheel style ceiling chandeliers were all fitted with candle shaped bulbs. The faux beams crossing the ceilings and all other woodwork within the place was stained dark, including the small reception desk. Hung behind the desk was a large old master style oil painting of a fair maiden in the throws of a passionate kiss with her brave knight, a deceased dragon was depicted sprawled on the ground behind the loved up couple. On the reception desk was a notice saying 'Welcome to the Castle Hotel. Please ring bell for service.' Next to the sign was a brass desk bell. Sam reached out to it, but Dean's hand snaked under his and hit the bell three times. Dean ginned at his brother in child-like delight.

A door behind the desk opened and a pleasantly smiling fifty something man dressed in neatly pressed pants and a crisp white shirt with a dark blue tie at his neck stepped through.
" Mr Halen, and you must be Mr Cooper? A pleasure to meet you sir. Your room is almost ready, in the meantime would you care to have a seat and peruse this evening's dinner menu? I'll have one of the staff bring out your complimentary coffees."
The man's badge proclaimed him to be the hotel manager, a Mr Phillip Duncan. As he spoke he ushered the brothers towards the wing back chairs, two leather bound menu's tucked under one arm. Noticing their well used and battered duffels, the man didn't lose a stride.
"Ah! Sirs, allow me to have your luggage taken up to your room for you."

Sam and Dean exchanged amused glances while the manager turned to beckon over a much younger man dressed much like the manager but wearing a dark blue shirt and who had appeared out of the same door the manager had used.
"Leon, could you take these gentlemen's luggage up to number 21a? Thank you Leon."
Without the practice of the older man, Leon's doubtful gaze slid from the distinctly shabby duffels to Sam and Dean before he could catch himself. He blushed as he hurriedly adopted a neutral expression and moved to grab the duffels. An arm longer than his got there first, the hand on the end of the arm pulled both bags backwards, out of Leon's reach. Sam gave the young man a friendly smile.
"Thanks, but we'll take them up ourselves when the room's ready. Coffee would be great though."
The manager nodded.
"Leon, if you wouldn't mind?"
"Coming right up."
Leon made a grateful exit while the manager presented each brother with a restaurant menu.|
"I'll return to take your orders when you're ready gentlemen."

-oOo-
A.N. Just to highlight that Hope's side of things does include flashbacks to things which have happened to her since meeting her uncle, Joel.
Chick xxxxxx