The next morning, as usual, Sam was up bright and early researching. Alexis rolled over on the roll-away peering at her uncle. "Don't you ever sleep?" she whined glancing at the time. "It's 7:30."
"It's a hunter's life. You better get used to it Lex," Sam chuckled.
She sat up fully, looking around the room. Noticing that Dean was missing from his bed she asked, "The shower's not running. He go out for breakfast?"
"You know Dean."
"What about me?" the older Winchester asked from the doorway. "Coffee, tea and pancakes. What about me?" He repeated.
"Your tapeworm," Lex replied. "Save me some pancakes." She hopped up from the roll-away and grabbed her duffle and shower supplies.
As Alexis disappeared into the bathroom Dean asked, "Find anything?"
"Yeah. Seems to be kids missing in a town in Texas."
"Our kind of case or another serial killer?"
Sam gave him a look. "Our kind… dick. Over the last 40 years or so kids have come missing at the Sarah Jane Bridge."
"Sarah Jane Bridge," both men looked up, "as in the crybaby bridge?"
"Wow. You shower fast. What's a crybaby bridge?" Dean asked.
"It's a bridge where a child has died. Sometimes by a parent who later hangs themselves in remorse. Or in Sarah Jane's case, a man kidnapped her and threw her into the alligator infested waters. You can supposedly still here the cries. Hence the crybaby part." Sam supplied.
"Wow. Harsh. So what, baby killer is haunting the bridge now or what?"
"Seems that way. After Sarah's body was found, her parents and the rest of the town formed a vigilante mob. Killed a local man who was a known pedophile."
"So, Texas huh?" Alexis said with a mouthful of pancake.
"That's attractive," Sam grimaced.
"Yep. Finish eating, and start packing," Dean said displaying his chewed breakfast.
"You two are pigs."
One Day Later
Sarah Jane Bridge
The Impala came to a stop on the side of the bridge. Three doors opened and the group climbed out. Dean pulled out his EMF detector. It started making a high pitched squealing sound.
"Something's definitely here," Sam said looking over Dean's shoulder.
"Is that a walkman?" Alexis asked.
"Used to be," Dean replied, "Now it's an EMF detector."
"Impressive," she said as the three started to separate, looking for anything.
"Hey guys," Lex called from the riverbank, "come here!"
The boys slid down the embankment. "What did you find?" Dean asked.
"This," Alexis said sadly, holding up a small pink and white sneaker.
Back in the hotel room, Alexis was still focused on the little tennis shoe. Her mind drifted off to when she was five.
Flashback
"Alexis Sophia," a harried Andrea called, "you can not run around in here!" She grabbed a hold of the little girls light pink overall straps. "Mommy might lose you, or someone might take you right out of this store."
"Okay Mommy. Can we get me new shoes now?"
"Yes we can sweetie. Climb onto the back of the cart."
"Yea!" she clambered onto the back.
Andrea started making race car noises speeding the little girl to the shoe department. Neither one the wiser of the man watching the little girl.
"Mommy! I want these ones!" Lex cried happily holding up a pair of white tennis shoes with little pink flowers.
"Okay baby. Let me find your size." Andrea turned her back to the girl.
Alexis' eyes wondered to the brightly colored jellies. She picked up a sparkly purple pair.)
"Well aren't those pretty," a tall man said behind her. "Pretty shoes for a pretty girl."
"Thank you," she said shyly. Alexis turned her head looking over her shoulder. "Mommy?" Andrea wasn't there anymore.
"I'll help you find her," the man said, offering her his hand.
She looked first at his out stretched hand, then hesitantly to his face. "Okay. Thank you." Alexis grasped his hand.
She remembered that being the scariest day of her mother's life. They found Alexis standing by the would be kidnapper's car. Her mother, in hysterics, enveloped Alexis in a tight hug.
"Lex! Where are you?" Dean asked snapping his fingers. "So you gonna finish researching?"
She shook herself of the memory, "Yeah, sorry."