That night the Impala pulled up to a motel office. After Dean parked, the three of them silently got out.

Sam studied them curiously, "So… what the hell is a shtriga?"

"It's a type of witch that preys on kids." Angel explained as Dean avoided his eyes, "Other than that we don't know much about them."

"Well I've never heard of it." Sam quipped, "And it's not in Dad's journal."

"Dad hunted one in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin when we were kids." Dean eyed him, "You were there. You don't remember?"

"No."

Angels eyes shifted to theirs, "He must've caught wind of the thing in Fitzburg now and kicked us the coordinates…"

"So wait, this…"

"Shtriga."

"Right. You two think it's the same one Dad hunted before?"

Dean shrugged, "Yeah, maybe."

"But if Dad went after it why is it still breathing air?"

"Well, Sam." Angel looked to him pointedly, "Obviously because the thing got away."

"Got away?"

"Yes, Sam, it happens." Angel said frustratedly, "Even to Dad, believe it or not."

He scoffed, "Not often."

Dean shrugged trying to lighten the mood, "Maybe Dad didn't have his wheaties that morning."

"Yeah…" Sam eyed between them like he knew he was missing something, "What else do you guys remember?"

"Nothing." Angel answered too quickly, cutting Dean off as he was about to explain and shutting him up with a look, "We were all just kids, Sam. There's nothing to remember." She shook her head before she started to walk away, "I'll just go get the rooms…"

She walked into the reception area of the hotel leaving Sam and Dean by the car and rang the bell. A young boy, around 10 to 12, came from the back room where a younger boy sat watching TV behind him.

The boy looked up at her, studied her a bit then smiled charmingly, "How can i help you?"

Angel took out a credit card as she answered, "Two queens and a king; seperate rooms."

The boy's glance fell from Angel to her brothers who were standing behind her outside.

His voice fell to whisper, "Yeah I'll bet two queens."

Her brow raised curiously as she smirked, "What was that?"

He grinned, "Nice car!" When she smiled at him he leaned in a little, "Has anyone ever told you how pretty your smile is? You are smokin'."

She chuckled at him, "Uh, thanks?"

"Hi." A woman caught her attention as she entered and smiled at the both of them, "Checking in?"

Angel nodded, "Yeah."

"Do me a favor?" The woman turned to the boy, "Go get your brother some dinner."

He frowned, "I'm helping a guest!" She gave him a look and he grimaced before turning to go as he explained, "Two queens and a king for the pretty lady."

The mom looked at Angel mortified but she just chuckled, "Cute kid."

"Oh, yeah. He thinks so." She sighed as she came behind the counter, "Sorry about that. Will that be cash or credit?"

"You take MasterCard?" She nodded, "Perfect. Here you go."

While she ran the card Angel watched through the door as the older boy poured a glass of milk for his little brother and had another flashback of her childhood…

Flashback…

Young Sam sat at the table as young Dean poured him a glass of milk. Angel sat across from him doing her own homework this time.

Sam sighed impatiently as he looked up at the ceiling, "When's Dad gonna get back?"

Dean grabbed a pot from the stove, "Tomorrow."

"When?"

He shrugged as he poured the contents of the pot into the bowl, "I dunno."

Angel got up and put her finished homework back in her bag, "He usually gets in really late, Sammy. You'll probably be asleep." She turned and noticed him just watching her so she motioned to the bowl, "Eat."

He frowned, "I'm sick of scabetti-ohs."

Dean scoffed irritatedly because he was the one who spent time making them, "Well- you're the one who wanted 'em!"

Angel rolled her eyes as she went to clean the dishes, "Dean."

"I want Lucky Charms!"

Dean glared, "There's no more Lucky Charms."

Sam looked him over unconvinced, "I saw the box!" He turned to his sister, "He's hiding it in the cupboard, Angie!"

"Dean, seriously?" She walked over at his blank look and opened the cupboard revealing the hidden box, "Why are you hiding cereal from Sam? That's rude."

"Tattle tale." Dean glared but turned to her to plead his case, "Okay, maybe there's still some left but there's only enough for one bowl and I haven't had any yet!"

Angel sighed as she put the box on the table and looked at Sam. He pouted and gave her his best puppy dog eyes that he knew she could never resist.

She turned to Dean, "Then you tell him no."

Dean rolled his eyes, grabbed the bowl of Spaghetti O's and dumped it in the trash. Angel retrieved a clean bowl and served Sam the last of the cereal. Sam excitedly took the toy prize from the top of the pile and held it out to Dean, making Angel smile.

"D'you want the prize?"

The woman held out Angel's card then waved a hand, "Ma'am?"

Angel came back and took the card, avoiding her eyes, "Uh… thanks."

After retrieving the keys to each room, they all decided to group in the boys room for some more research. Sam was on his lap top as Dean and Angel went through some of the lore books they brought along.

"Well, you were right." Sam laughed looking over as Dean handed Angel a cup of coffee, "It wasn't very easy to find but you were right. Shtriga is a kind of witch. They're Albanian, but legends about them trace back to Ancient Rome. They feed off spiritus vitae."

Dean frowned, "Spiri- what?"

"Vitae. It's Latin, which translates to 'breath of life'. Kinda like your life force or essence."

Dean nodded, "Didn't the doctor say the kids' bodies were wearing out?"

"Makes sense." Ange mused, "Maybe it's feeding on these kids Spiritus… whatever and that's what is making their immunity drop."

"Which allows the pneumonia to take hold." Sam agreed, "Anyway, shtrigas can feed off anyone but they prefer…"

"Children."

"Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life force. And get this- Shtrigas are 'invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man.'"

"No." Angel shook her head, "She's vulnerable when she feeds."

Sam's eyes snapped to hers, "What?"

"If you catch her when she's eating you can blast her with consecrated wrought iron."

"Buckshots or rounds." When she met Sam's eyes he just stared, "What?"

"How do you know that?"

"Dad told us." Dean answered as he shrugged, walking over to his bag to retrieve his journal, "I remember too."

"Oh. Huh. So uh, anything else Dad might have mentioned?"

"Nah."

"Nope, that's it."

Sam kept staring at them making Dean bristle, "What?"

"Nothing." Sam frowned knowing something was up but dropped it as he got up and walked over to them, "Okay… So, assuming we can kill it when it eats, we still gotta find the thing first, which ain't gonna be a cakewalk. Shtrigas take on a human disguise when they're not hunting."

"What kinda human disguise?"

"Historically, something innocuous." Sam answered as he got his own cup of coffee, "Could be anything, but it's usually a feeble old woman, which might be how the 'witches as old crones' legend got started."

Dean turned and hurriedly took the map off of the table that Angel was sitting at.

She looks up at him curiously, "What?"

"Check this out." He pointed at the map, "I marked down all the addresses of the victims. Now these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead center?"

"The hospital."

"The hospital." Dean repeated, "Now when we were there I saw a patient, an old woman."

"An old person, huh?" Sam smirked, sarcasm leaking from his voice, "In a hospital? Phew." He shook his head snickering, making Angel laugh, "Better call the Coast Guard."

Dean glared, "Listen, smart-ass, she had an inverted cross hanging on her wall."

At that revelation, the two of them both looked up at Dean , serious and he raised an eyebrow in return.

At the Hospital…

The three came down a hallway, quickly ducking back when they saw Dr Hydecker. Once he passed them, they continued on to the old woman's room. They opened the door and snuck in, Angel led with Dean close behind and Sam hanging back, all with their guns drawn. The woman was in her wheelchair facing toward the corner. She seemed to be sleeping as Angel and Dean made their way towards her.

As Dean leaned closer towards her she suddenly turned her head, "Who the hell are you?!"

Dean freaked, leaping back against a wall cabinet with a gasp. Angel jumped at her brother's response before taking a breath and glaring at him. Annoyed, she pulled her gun up when she realized this wasnt who they were looking for.

"Who's there?" Dean, still freaked out, pointed his gun at the woman again before Angel walked over and hit his arms down, "You trying to steal my stuff?" The old woman grumbled to herself, "They're always stealing around here."

"No… uh…" Sam turned the light on, revealing she had cataracts, and sent an eye to an extremely freaked out Dean before continuing, "Ma'am, we're maintenance. We're sorry. We thought you were sleeping."

"Ah, nonsense. I was sleeping with my peepers open." She laughed before gesturing at the wall. "And fix that crucifix, would ya? I've asked four damn times already!"

Angel, shaking her head at the whole thing, jogs the crucifix so it swung the right way up. Giving her brothers a look she led them out.