Sorry this is so short, I didn't have time to do more, but wanted to give you something until I can write a longer chapter this weekend. Thanks for the encouraging reviews!

Chapter 4

Dean had downed the first shot before Sam had a chance to stop him. Sam watched incredulously as his brother moved the glass towards Kendall, indicating he was ready for a refill.

"That is some damn fine whiskey, Kendall. You were right. Smooth!" Dean smiled brightly as he looked at his obviously pissed younger brother. Sam held his tongue, but glared at Dean and shook his head. Kendall was oblivious to the exchange, happily pouring another shot for both Dean and himself.

"I told you, best stuff I ever drank, pure heaven in a bottle." the innkeeper declared as he raised his glass in salute and the pair downed a second shot.

Sam was seething. What in the hell does Dean think he's doing? Shit!

"Look Dean, I'm going up to the room," Sam's words were clipped, his irritation evident. "I think you better take it easy with that stuff. You will be back on duty in the morning, you know."

"Yes, mother. Don't wait up." Dean shoved his glass toward Kendall again, who shook his head in amusement at Sam.

"Lighten up, Mr. Waters. You are one seriously uptight dude. Must've been exposed to one too many germs on the job." Kendall laughed loudly, causing Dean to wince.

"Easy there, Kendall, the head, remember?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Kendall, do you mind if I speak to Mr. Whitman for a moment? It's official business. And, I need to discuss this before he drinks himself into oblivion." Literally. Sam watched in disgust as Dean drank the next glass down.

The innkeeper frowned and stood up abruptly, the stool tipping over behind him. He stepped towards Sam, who tensed, but relaxed and smiled weakly when the older man simply slapped him on the shoulder. "Of course! You two kids chat it up and I'll go get another bottle."

Once Kendall was out of earshot, Sam turned on his brother. "What in the hell do you think you're doing, Dean? You do know this alcohol could be tainted with some freaky supernatural curse, right?"

"Yeah Sam, that's why I'm the one drinking it and you are going to go up to the room like a good little CDC agent."

"What?" Sam looked at Dean like his brother had grown a second head, but Dean simply ignored him and, with a slight slur in his voice, attempted to explain himself.

"I figure the best way to discover what's really going on is to sample the goods and see if anything happens."

"Dean, that has to be the stupidest thing you've ever said, or done. People are dying and you volunteer to be a lab rat?"

"Look, Sam, Mr. Conroy's been drinking this, probably daily, judging by his enthusiasm for the stuff, which by the way is awesome," Dean chuckled slightly. "Anyway, he's not dead, or even physically ill that I can tell, although he might be a few bricks short of a full load. That leads me to believe that this so-called curse is bogus and something else caused those deaths."

"You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

"God, Dean, we don't know what caused those deaths. That's my whole point. It could be this alcohol, it could be a spirit."

"Technically, alcohol is a spirit, Sammy." Dean shot a crooked and slightly drunken smile at his brother. "Get it? Spirits, alcohol . . ."

"Yeah, Dean I get it. You must have hit your head harder than I thought. You're as certifiable as Kendall!"

"Just go up to the room, man. I want to see if I can get more information out of the old guy. I'll be up later."

"I am not leaving you alone down here, Dean."

"Alright then, but if you stay down here, don't you dare turn into a buzz kill. I want to enjoy this if it's gonna kill me." Dean poured the remaining contents of the bottle into his glass and raised it towards Sam before he drank it down.

"That's not funny, Dean."

…………………

Judith Conroy watched the exchange between the young men from the second floor landing atop the staircase, nervously fingering the rubbed-hardwood banister. She frowned, unable to make out their conversation. She wondered where her husband had gone, and if this evening would end as badly as the last time Kendall had "entertained" the guests.