The Roosevelt Asylum – Part 2

A continuation of the Asylum Episode. I hope you all enjoy!

I'd really appreciate some feedback on these chapters as I'm not entirely sure how I feel about them.

Warnings: Language, talk/threats of corporal punishment (spanking of a minor).

Thank you for reading!


After finding out about Daneil Gunderson's partner, Walter Kelly, who turns out was good cop with a bright future ahead of him and for no apparent reason shot and killed his beloved wife who he had planned a future with before blowing his own brains out. It all sounded like something had gotten to the ill-fated man and all the answers lied within the creepy confounds of the Roosevelt Asylum.

Therefore, after checking into a far cheaper motel on the other side of town, which Ellie should have known would be the case, they got a good seven-hour sleep in and headed to check out the Asylum early the next morning. Ellie suspected Sam or Dean to question her about her secrets or try to pry more information out of her, but for whatever reason both men seemed to remain silent on the subject, not even bring it up once. Whether it was because they were too focused on the case at hand or they simply were too tired to start an argument in the middle of a Hunt, Ellie did not know, but whatever their reasoning she was grateful and hoped her luck would last in avoiding the subject.

Dean parked the Impala in front of the large old building that had a ten-foot chain linked fence surrounding the grand front entrance with large signs tacked up along it reading 'Keep Out' and 'No Trespassing – Violators Will be Prosecuted'. Ellie's eyes traveled upwards in awe taking in sheer size of the extraordinarily majestic building that undoubtably housed a significant amount of patients back in its prime days. The large study stone blocks that made up the building were tainted and coarsened from years of neglect and exposure to the elements, yet the well-build structure stood study and rooted seeming to withstanding the tests of time. Despite the messy graffiti art that was painted on large sections of the building, no doubt from teenagers who made it a hang out joint of their own, the trash that collected along the fence line and corners around the foot of the building, the large windows that were boarded crudely with plywood, it still did not take away the impressive stature of what it once was.

Once they got out of the car, Sam immediately went to work climbing the tall chain linked fence making little effect of it as he jumped down onto the other side with impressive speed and athleticism. Once Sam's boots were settled on the pavement, Dean turned to look at Ellie whose attention was fixated upwards taking in the grandness of the double stairway leaving to the entrance. Ellie wondered if only the wealthy were admitted to a place like this.

Dean reached out his arm toward the distracted girl tapping the side of her small bicep effectively gaining the girl's attention as she snapped out of her thoughts and turned her head toward him.

"Up you get, kiddo." Dean encouraged jutting his sharp chin towards the fence.

Ellie walked up to the fence griping her fingers through the chain links as she hoisted herself up sticking the toes of her brown boots onto the stiff links as she climbed. Ellie's slim athletic frame moved quickly and easily over the top of the fence and down the other side where Sam was waiting for her. When she was only a few feet from the ground Sam reached out his long toned arms and gripped his large palms around her narrow waist firmly guiding her safely down onto the pavement as she jumped. Not that Ellie required any assistance, Sam knew the well-trained girl was more than capable, but he found himself instinctually doing it all the same, not only because that's how he was raised, but because he simply cared about the young girl as feelings of protectiveness and care were becoming natural and strong.

Dean quickly followed jumping onto the stiff links of fence climbing up swiftly before flinging his strong body over the top. Not bothering to climb down the other side, Dean jumped down thudding his boots against the pavement effortlessly.

Once Dean was on the other side of the fence, both he and Sam wasted no time in immediately tracking up the left stairway towards the double entrance doors. Ellie, however, took a moment to turn around and look up at the large worn weather-beaten plaque that sat between the double stairway that read 'Roosevelt Asylum – Est. 1872'.

Time to go to work. Ellie thought before rushing up the stairs behind Sam and Dean to catch up.

As soon as they walked through the double doors into what used to be the lobby, a strong unpleasant sent of mold and musty corrosion hit Ellie's nostrils instantly, no doubt, from the years of water damage and decay making her crinkle her nose in disgust. There was a dampness that chilled the crisp air within the confines of the old building making her wrap her arms around herself pressing her palms underneath her armpits as the bite of the cold seemed to seep through her thin navy zip up.

The large windows above the grand stairway across from the entrance was the only direct source of light that shinned through the dirty panels dimly on the bleak lobby. Trash was spued everywhere along with numerous empty beer, wine, and hard liquor bottles, dirty and shredded newspapers, excessive amounts of cigarette butts and miscellaneous garbage littered all about. There was large graffiti artwork on the walls and along with cobwebs and enormous amounts of dust, dirt, and debris. There was a service desk paneled with tainted plexiglass to the left of door, and two entrance wings on either side of them, one dubbed 'East Wing', the other, 'West Wing'.

Taking in the sights of the trashed and neglected lobby, Sam's eyes caught Ellie's hunched and stiff posture witnessing her wrapping her arms around herself in an obvious effort to keep warm.

"You cold, Ellie?" Sam's voice pipped up against the silence starling Ellie as she turned around to look at the man behind her.

"A little bit." Ellie admitted dismissively shrugging her shoulders in an indifferent manner before turning back around to continue observing the dirty lobby not wanting to complain.

"Here." Sam said taking off his dark brown Carhartt jacket without a second thought making Ellie turn back around to look at him, a bit taken back at the swift and generous offer.

"Put this on." He insisted as he held out the warm sturdy jacket out towards her.

He had multiple layers on consisting of a black long-sleeved undershirt, a black grunge style polo shirt and a warm red button up flannel. A precaution tactic both he and Dean were taught at early age by their father as just another practical and prepared way for survival that had now becoming second nature to them. Going into dank, dirty, and musky places was a part of the job and if it was cold or you got something on your clothes you could always shed a layer and still be well equipped and warm enough to press on and handle whatever you needed to.

"No, it's okay." Ellie assured not wanting to deprive the man of his jacket or, if she was being honest with herself, the silly notion that she did not require him looking after her. It was foolish, but she just couldn't seem to help herself, but push away the kind gesture still fighting to keep her distance from the men and not get too close. She didn't deserve it anyway; she wasn't a good kid to them and gave them all kinds of trouble and headaches, the last thing she needed to do was to rob them of their clothes.

"Take it. I got several layers on. I don't need it. I don't want you to catch a cold." Sam asserted with strong insistence holding out his jacket towards her determinedly giving it a brisk shake urging her to obey him.

"I won't." Ellie assured casually in a polite tone with confidence still hanging onto the guilt and of being a burdening pain in the ass to them, like she was to Dean last night.

"It's not a request." Sam informed, a sudden bite to his voice as it dipped down to a firmer tone expressing the exact same thing his dad would always say to him, something he never thought he would say as he personally hated the phrase that took his freedom of choice away, but now faced on the opposite end of the perspective he grasped a bit of understanding toward it. He was not going to let her freeze out of stubbornness.

Ellie sighed in defeat feeling her shoulders heave down before muttering a 'yes, sir' and taking the jacket being offered to her or more likely, now, demanded upon her. Ellie slipped on the excessively large and weighty Carhartt jacket that practically swallowed her small slim figure, the hem of the sturdy warm jacket coming down to her mid thighs, almost to her knees. But it ultimately did the trick and instantly took the chill of the dank building off her bones, the heat of Sam's body still lingering against the warm lining giving an odd relieving comfort of more than just increasing her body temperature.

Sam made a mental note to check her bag tonight for warmer clothes as the days were starting to get cooler and he wanted to ensure she was going to be properly dressed when she went out with them because he was certain the independent and stubborn kid would not say a damn thing to them.

"So apparently, the cops chased the kids here into the 'South Wing'." Sam announced pointing to the double doors to the right of them. Ellie eyes cast up onto a long worn wooden sign above the thick hefty doors that read 'South Wing'.

"South Wing, huh?" Dean repeated in thought as he stared at the entrance, the words pitching at his memory.

"Wait a second." Dean said reaching into his inner coat pocket pulling out his dad's journal. The eager man opened the leather Filofax journal scanning to the marked page of the newspaper clipping of the Asylum. "South Wing, South Wing." Dean repeated before scanned the line of interest with his finger.

"1972. Three kids broke into South Wing, only one survived. The way he tells it, one of his friends went nuts and started lighting up the place." Dean informed looking over at his brother mindfully knowing the South Wing was undoubtably a place of interest.

"So, whatever is going on, the South Wing seems like the heart of it." Sam nodded in agreement his sharp brows lined firmly in thoughtful understanding keeping his eyes fixed on the thick graffiti covered doors.

"Yeah, but kids are spelunking the Asylum, why aren't there a ton more deaths?" Dean countered rationally wondering if there was a specific explanation to that.

"It looks like the doors are usual chained. Could have been chained for years." Sam noted as he trudged over to the dirty double doors slowly to get a better look at the heavy-duty rusted chain that hung from one of the large door handles looking to be cut by some hefty bolt cutters.

"Yeah, to keep people out." Dean stated trudging over to Sam's side next to the thick metal doors. "Or…to keep something in." He suggested remarking on something possibly more sinister.

Sam pressed his large palm against the thick door easing it open slowly causing the old hinges to creak ominously echoing against the confining walls of the dark and desolate hallway. Ellie scrunched up her face into a worried and reluctant grimace as she felt her body surge with a jittery unease letting her vivid imagination and valid fears take hold. Unrestful spirits were bad enough, but bat shit crazy ones with vengeance on their conscience was not something Ellie was eager to encounter. Angry spirits were dangerous and Ellie noted with dread that spirits tended to gravitate toward young and innocent souls. Although, she saw herself far from innocent, as far as the Supernatural was concerned anyway, she was, without a doubt, young, exceeding Sam and Dean in that department by at least 10 years. Ellie gulped down a ward of saliva, feeling the familiar instinctual apprehension she always felt before a Hunt or a possible encounter with the supernatural. Her muscles tensed in preparation setting her senses on high alert for the possible dangers that could await her. Yet, like many times before, Ellie ritually swallowed her trepidations and rational fears keeping them hidden deep within her tight chest, plastering on a brave face as she followed the Hunters through the thick metal doors of the tormented West Wing.

The confining concrete walls of the dark narrow hallway seemed disconcertingly cramped due to all the medical equipment left scattered about the halls leaving a disrupted path for them to navigate past old wheelchairs, IV stands, medical carts, waiting chairs, and discarded trash. The rays of mild daylight shined dimly through some of the dirty un-boarded windows onto the chipping and corroding concreate walls providing some precious light onto their path. Some of the small rooms that lined the narrowed hallway had the doors jarred opened offering an additional light from the barred windows within. Ellie frowned deeply in disturbed pity as they passed the small cell-like rooms with only a square barred cut-out on each heavy metal door making her doubt very much that this was a pleasant place to be housed back in the day. Too engrossed in taking in her surroundings, Ellie realized she had fallen behind and scurried her feet along at a quickened pace to catch up to Sam and Dean who had strode ahead of her significantly with their superior long legs, hearing her boots crunch against the debris, dirt and trash scattered about the floor.

Ellie slowed her pace when she was a comfortable few feet behind their broad backs finding herself become more at ease being closer to them in the long creepy hallway.

"Are you getting any reading on that thing?" Sam asked looking down at the EMF meter in Dean's hand that hasn't sounded even once since they walked into the West Wing.

"No." Dean admitted holding it out in his hand at the ready. "Of course, it doesn't mean nobody's home." Dean pointed out grimly noting that it was daytime.

"Spirits can't always appear during certain hours." Sam nodded in agreement as a widely known textbook fact among Hunters as he continued to walk alongside his brother.

"Yeah, the freaks come out at night." Dean confirmed in a way too lighthearted tone for the circumstances Ellie thought, a touch of excitement in his voice.

"Hey Sam, who do you think is a hotter psychic – Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Huewitt, or you?" Dean jested making Sam reach out and jab a playful punch onto the back of his brother's shoulder showing him just what he thought about his wisecrack.

Dean let out smug chuckle of amusement making Ellie roll her eyes, but despite that, she found her lips tugging up into a small smirk nevertheless.

After they made it down the long main hallway, they entered one of the larger rooms dubbed 'Medical Treatment'. As soon as they entered a heavy and ominous feeling began to press down onto Ellie's bones making her instincts swarm with unease and discontentment as her eyes scanned over the disturbingly old outdated equipment dispersed throughout the room. Ellie's brown eyes honed in on an old metal operating chair that sat in the center of the dark grim room looking frightful sinister with the arm supports left jutted out, like someone had just recently made use of the foul looking thing. The thick and harsh looking restraining straps that hung about it made it appear disturbingly frightening, like it was used for torture rather than 'treatment'. Nothing good could have come from sitting in that horrid chair Ellie concluded with troubling pity and made a point to not get to close to it as she walked about the room. This was undoubtably a dark and grisly place where cruel and terrible things happened, which sent an unsuspecting shiver of warning down Ellie's spin that would send any sane person packing.

Large bottles filled with unknown substances lay about on tables and carts throughout the room, that Ellie was sure she didn't want to find out the contents of, an electroshock device, and other unsettling misalliances things like a headless babydoll that was particularly disconcerting to Ellie. How the hell did that end up in here?

Yet, despite the unnerving and rational fears towards this gruesome place, there was this underling persistent curiosity that push against Ellie's fears and overshowed it with a potent determination to get to the bottom of these deaths and to find out just what happened here and why. Not only to save lives, but to put to rest the desolate souls that resided here. Be it, brave, misguided, or foolish, Ellie had a Hunter's heart.

Dean let out a brisk whistle of shock and disgust which seemed to carrying in the large room.

"Man." Dean declared in abhorrence shaking his head as he walked around taking in the grisly and disturbing sights before him. "Electroshock, lobotomies. They did some twisted stuff to these people."

"Kind of like my man Jack in 'Cuckoo's Nest'." Dean referenced in an exaggerated spooky tone looking over his shoulder at Sam making light of the grim and morbid things they have come accustom to dealing with, but he didn't get the reaction he was expecting from his brother who was doing a wonderful job ignoring him as he scoped out the place looking around like he never even heard him. The only indication of his annoyance was a small twitch of his lip that went completely unnoticed by Dean.

A sudden brisk movement caught the corner of Ellie's vision making her snap her head toward the standing tattered curtain divider in the large alcove section of the room feeling air surge from her lungs and her muscles tense with sharp trepidation. Ellie's focused brown eyes locked in on a spot around the far end of the curtain where she could have sworn she saw the blur of a shadowy figure move behind. The movement was fleeting and only grasp her glance for a split second at best making her question if she really saw something or it was just her overly alert and anxious mind playing tricks on her. Ellie bravely forced her heavy legs to move towards the curtain divider to investigate feeling her heart rate elevate with apprehension. Ellie did not give herself the time to overthink and analyze her fears as she boldly rounded the end of the curtain swiftly to peer behind it, only to be met with nothing, but an old cot and a medical cart making Ellie heave a relieving sigh from her heavy lungs.

Sam turned to look over his shoulder absentmindedly casting his head to the right before darting his eyes to the corners of the room feeling his limbs stiffen slightly in concern as he came to notice Ellie was nowhere in sight.

"Ellie?" Sam called calmly, his deep voice holding a touch of alarm, making Dean snap his attention away from the wooden box of various metical tools.

Dean darted his wide eyes back and forth fretfully stilling his body as he waited for Ellie to respond feeling a pinch of apprehension beginning to form in his gut for every second they were met with silence.

She better not have wondered off.

Ellie's head shot up at hearing her name from behind the curtain realizing quickly that she was hidden from their view. Almost instantly Ellie heard a set of heavy boots come thudding towards the curtain. On a mischievous and impulsive thought, Ellie swiftly and sneakily rounded the opposite side of the curtain just as soon as Sam turned to look behind it from the other side.

Hearing a small faint scuffing sound of boots Sam pulled his head back away from the certain to look on the other side and, right as she came into his view, Ellie took the opportunity to express a short 'Boo'.

Ellie watched with mischievous satisfaction as Sam's chest heave up sharply for a split second in startlement, his muscles jolting and stiffening slightly before instantly deflating and pressing his lips together tightly releasing an annoyed huff through his flared nostrils.

Ellie fought the small smile that was tugging at her lips as she cast her eyes downward pressing them together idly attempting to hide her amusement. She was not really expecting to catch the Hunter off guard like that, but the circumstances just seemed to allow it and Ellie reveled in the idea of surprising the rarely outwitted and astute man.

Dean let out a chuckle of amusement from across the room seeming to also find pleasure in Sam being caught unaware making Ellie's tight smile widened glad to make the Hunter laugh for a change.

"Getting rusty there, Sammy." Dean joked making Sam direct his irked expression towards Dean not appearing to appreciate the humor as Ellie caused him to needlessly worry. While he might have indulged the humor if they weren't in this morbid asylum where people were reported going crazy and becoming homicidal. His already irritated nerves on even being on this Hunt in the first place made him not so inclined to find amusement in the innocent tease.

Sam swiftly turned his attention back to Ellie gabbing a hold of her bicep and spinning her around so she was facing away from him. Sam reached down and popped the flat of his stiff palm against her excessively padded backside forcing Ellie to take a step in his desired direction which was out of the shadow of the alcove and into the center of the room where she could easily be seen. The force of his spank was half-hearted at best and with Sam's thick Carhartt jacket covering her posterior, Ellie didn't even feel a sting.

"Stay where we can see you." Sam declared in aggravation his voice elevating to an annoyed tone as Ellie turned around to face him, her lips pressed together in a mild pout.

"You know spirits are attracted to youth." Sam reminded giving her a stern look of reproach feeling his concerns drive him to be not so tolerable of her wondering off.

"But 'freaks come out at night' right?" Ellie argued turning her head to look over at Dean for confirmation on his own words, but Sam brought her attention back to him.

"Not always, Ellie." Sam warned his voice dipping down into a serious and level tone. "Just because we're not getting readings on the EMF meter doesn't mean this place is not dangerous. Stay in our sight." Sam ordered sternly; his brows stiffened in a grave line urging the young teenager to see the importance of caution.

"Yes, sir." Ellie nodded respectfully with every intention to stick by them as this place gave her the creeps right down to her bones.

"Alright, so, what do you think? Ghost possessing people?" Dean guessed mindfully as his wandering gaze scanned over the disturbing 'treatment room'.

"Maybe." Sam agreed as he walked away from Ellie towards Dean taking in more of the unpleasant sights of the room as he approached his brother. "Or maybe it's more like Amityville or the Smurl Haunting." Sam suggested wondering if people were provoked into insanity rather than possessed.

"Spirits driving them insane, kind of like my man Jack in 'The Shinning'." Dean referenced lightheartedly, unable to resist bring up good old Jack Nicolson again, smiling at his pop culture connections to the place keeping his mind distracted from all the burdening stress and worry that was weighing on him. However, that seemed to be unobtainable and destined to fail as his brother seemed to have other plans.

Sam scoffed as the side of his lip twitched flatly to the side completely unamused on his brother's insistence to mask everything with joke. In fact, Dean's lighthearted and facetious manner was poking strongly against his pent-up agitation that was incessantly gnawing away at his patience. Sam couldn't understand how his brother could act so cheery and unbothered at the fact that their dad was purposefully and frustratingly evading them, sending them on this distracting Hunt without so much as a courtesy call to let them in on what the hell was going on, expecting them to just follow his curt orders without question or consideration. Dean may be able to tolerate his dad's selfishness in good conscience, but Sam simply could not stomach it. He was too much like his old man in that regard.

Unable to restraint himself any longer from the continuous irritation, Sam thought this was as good a time as any to lay the cards on the table and bring up the touchy subject he has been avoiding since yesterday.

"Dean." Sam expressed in a serious tone suggesting that he wanted to put all the jokes aside. "When are we going to talk about it?" Sam urged his voice deflated in tired frustration putting the matter out on the table.

"Talk about what?" Dean asked clueless to his brother's meaning as he turned to look at him.

"The fact that Dad's not here." Sam expressed bluntly a tightness beginning to form in his words showing a glimpse of his pent-up irritation at his brother's unbothered attitude and avoidance on the subject.

"Oh, uh, let's see…" Dean said pretending to seriously consider his brother's words while looking towards the ground before snapping his attention back up to Sam. "Uh, never." Dean nodded firmly, his eyes holding a serious resistance cutting off his brother's wish to share and care on things that were set in stone.

"I'm being serious, man." Sam leveled taking a step towards his brother as he squared his shoulders at him in a purposeful manner displaying his need to address this grave situation.

"So am I, Sam." Dean countered, his voice elevating feeling a pinch of frustration at his brother's insistence on pressing the matter that, in Dean's mind, has already been settled. "Look, he sent us here. He obviously wants us here. We'll just have to pick up the search later." Dean expressed plainly trying to reassure his brother that once they finish the Hunt, they would start looking for him again and that there was no need to get all bent out of shape for it.

"It doesn't matter what he wants." Sam insisted trying to get his elder brother off the mindset that he was his dad's cadet and could, in fact, think for himself and have an opinion.

"See that attitude right there." Dean accused firmly pointing a finger at his brother's chest. "That's why I always got the extra cookie." Dean quipped half being serious as he always made peace with his dad while Sam seemed to push against him in every possible manner. Dean couldn't understand why Sam always had to cause a problem when it came to his dad's orders. He swore if his dad insisted the sky was blue, Sam would question it.

"No, that's why you always got out of an ass beating." Sam claimed a small speck of jealousy forming within him suggesting Dean got out of punishments and heat with his dad by simply agreeing with the man and submitting to his wishes like unwavering conditioned soldier rather than just being his own man.

"Come on, I never got out of an ass beating." Dean countered dismissively scrunching his face in a disbelieving grimace. He could not think of one time he escaped a butt whopping from his old man as his father was annoyingly consistent in that department and Sam was just bitching for bitching's sake now driving Dean's temper up a wall.

"Dad could be in trouble. We should be looking for him." Sam pushed trying to get his brother to understand that searching for their dad was far more important than this Hunt that was forced upon them.

Ellie's eyebrows frowned deeply as she listened to the brothers' conversation intently finding a bit of frustration and bitterness spark within her at Sam's strong insistence on going against his dad's wishes to find him and drop this hunt. It was downright hypocritical in Ellie's eyes as it seemed he could tell her to not look for her uncle and to obey his wishes, yet, the man was not taking his own advice in obeying his own dad. Now that he was faced with the frustration, worry and heartache of being pushed away was he now changing his mind on the matter? Or do the rules simply not apply to him cause he was a grown man and it was his family? If that was the case, it was utter bullshit and deviously unfair from Ellie's perspective and she found herself not appreciating the double standard she was being fed.

"We deserve answers, Dean. Aren't you tired of being left in the dark? I mean this is our family we're talking about." Sam pressed in earnest trying to penetrate into his brother's ridged mind that they had a choice and could pursue whatever they damn well pleased despite their dad's wishes. His dad was not some all-powerful being who they always had to obey without consideration of their own. They were not children anymore. They were adults with minds of their own and their dad was not always right.

"Then we should be looking for my uncle too." Ellie interjected daringly stepping next to Sam seeing her opportunity to put her two cents in, implying that if they could look for their dad against his wishes, then she could look for her uncle too. She thought if they could just find him and ensure his safety, even from a distance without his knowledge, that would be enough to perhaps step in if he was trouble.

Sam's head snapped over to look down at Ellie next to him utterly God-smacked at the girl's audacity to bring up something that she was well-aware they adamantly condemned. The notion of deliberately seeking Caleb out was utterly foolish putting her in direct and immediate danger and that was simply not going to happen. She knew it wasn't on the table for discussion, debate or question and Sam felt a spark of anger ignite within his chest for her even daring to suggest it. Recollections of her taking off flashed in his memory leaving him jittery with agitation and worry effectively provoking his already irritated nerves. Not at all seeing the comparison Ellie was implying between her uncle's situation and their father's as it was an entirely different matter with a differing set of circumstances. Not to mention they were adults who had the experience and maturity to handle themselves in the Hunting world. And as much as Ellie did not like to hear it, she was nowhere near ready to make decisions on her own and still needed guidance and protection.

"Woah, woah, hold it." Dean declared firmly his deep voice rising with potent aggravation as put up his hands bring the tag team bitch fest to an immediate halt. He did not need this right now.

Dean could feel the weight of stress pressing fiercely down on his shoulders with every querulous word spoken. The incessant and intense fears and worries of everything he was dealing with had the man fighting to just keep his head above water, let alone listening to both of them gripe. The whole demon situation with Ellie of not knowing what the hell was going on, (which he was well aware was far more serious and troubling than Ellie was letting on), the continuous lies, evasions and deceptions he was being feed anytime he asked, not knowing where the hell his dad was or if Caleb was coming back. All the while trying to keep his small family from falling apart, and keeping this little life in front of him alive and breathing. So, the last thing he needed was the added burden of pestering and whining ringing in his ears. He didn't have the time, patience or sanity to deal with that crap and, damn it, wasn't going to.

"Is this national 'Bitch at Dean Day' that I didn't know about?" Dean snapped harshly in an exasperated tone feeling his blood start to boil and his blood pressure spike as he directed his heated expression to his brother than to Ellie, his intense green eyes sparking with harsh criticism.

"No, alright." Dean expressed adamantly in an unyielding tone, his deep voice rumbling strongly against his vocal cords. "We have our orders. Case closed." Dean declared in a fixed tone, done with being bitched at on something that could not be changed. Orders were orders, that's what kept them alive and kicking and insubordination would just simply tear their small family apart. And as far as Ellie was concerned, Dean didn't even acknowledge the possibility of that stupid and impulsive suggestion of looking for the man. Dean was sure Ellie only dared to bring up the taboo topic because of Sam's insistence to go against their dad's commands which only elevated the man's frustration of adding more unnecessary burden upon him. He would never consider it as an option, not after listening to Caleb's desperation to keep her away from him. He had every intention of keeping his word to the distressed man and if that meant he had to be a dick about things and get tough then so be it.

"So we always gotta follow dad's orders?" Sam pressed in a restrained calmness.

"Of course we do." Dean declared instantly without missing a beat in an unyielding tone of resolve.

Sam lips pressed together tightly letting out a small sigh as he dipped his head to the side slightly giving his brother a look that all but read 'do you hear yourself,' completely disagreeing with his ridged stubbornness and inability to bend on anything their dad ordered.

"Now both of you put a sock in it before I do it for you." Dean declared, his voice biting in aggravation as he closed the conversation, his patience spent casting his hard eyes of warning from Sam than to Ellie before turning around to continue investigating the room and calm his rising temper. However, it seemed that was not ordained to happen.

"Maybe you should take your own advice on that." Ellie grumbled smartly under her breath through tight lips as soon as Dean's back was turned, unable to keep her personal teenage frustrations unspoken, backhandedly referring specifically to Dean's pushy and assertive manner in prying into her affairs. A sneaky and bitter offhanded jab of rebellion against the man in a poor attempt to make her touchy-self feel better and unknowingly put some defensive distance between her and the man who she was dangerously coming to care about.

Although Ellie had stated it quietly, it was, apparently, not quiet enough.

Sam snapped his head sharply towards Ellie, a look of shocked offense crossed over his sharp features at her disrespectful words as his brows lined stiffen in stern censure. Sam closed his parted lips and sighed out a huff of disgruntlement through his nose. Does she even think before she opens that mouth of her's? The answer to that was a definite 'no', as her words were said on foolish self-destructive impulse.

Dean felt his back muscles bulge and strain as he straightened his posture feeling a rush of potent aggravation shoot up his spin at hearing the daring backtalk murmur from the kid's bitter lips. Dean took if for what it was – a very rude roundabout way of basically telling him to 'shut up'.

Dean turned his broad shoulders around, leaning his head to the side slightly as he shot the teenager a deeply disgruntled scowl, the lines of his heated expression chiseled in severe disapproval. Ellie visibly pulled her head back and swallowed a wad of saliva feeling her body's warning signals surge with alarm. Instant and potent regret sunk deep into her bones compelling her to believe that opening her mouth was a mistake.

Oops.

"What?" Dean demanded in a deeply unsettling tone that all, but told Ellie he heard every word. His deep baritone vocals cut straight through her chest as it carried against the silence of the eerie room.

Keeping his head cocked to the side, Dean turned his ridged body completely around till his broad shoulders were squared with her before trending his heavy boots towards the young girl in brisk and weighed strides, like she, all of a sudden, was the only thing of interest in the disturbing room having direct tunnel vision as he channeled all of his focus towards the little girl.

Ellie felt her muscles tense sharply under her skin as her lungs constricted depriving her of air as she suddenly forgot to breath knowing instantly that she was about to reap the consequences of her inability to put a shock in it like Dean so wisely suggested.

What the hell was her problem? Ellie didn't rightly know what made her go stupid all of a sudden. Did her brain just decide to take a vacation today? She was very aware that the Hunter was testy as he displayed his irritation prominently only a few seconds ago. However, it seemed her continual fears and the built-up resentment had bested her restraint towards the intrusive man and just couldn't pass the opportunity to state a very desired suggestion. Unfortunately, her suggestion was sassy and rude and said to a gruff Hunter, who, showed himself very capable of taking her over his knee and burning a raging fire across her ass.

Ellie knew he didn't deserve her mouthing off and she felt a bit of shame and disappointment in herself for pissing him off unnecessarily and putting her backside on the line all because she couldn't keep her damn trap shut. Why was she such a bad kid?

She was coming to find that the Hunters, like most, were quite strict on certain things, respect being one of them, not that she was a stranger strictness and ridged authority, but it was clear she needed to start finding the will to curb her mouth or she was going to be one hell of a sore teenager.

Unable to contain her trepidation, Ellie took a small retreating step back on pure instinct as the irked man continued toward her looking just about ready to knock her into next week which Ellie concluded he could do with not much effort. Hell, he could knock her into next year.

Dean settled his boots directly in front of her, one full boot length penetrating her personal space making her dreadfully aware of the sheer height difference, as the six-foot muscular Hunter towered over the petite teenager dauntingly making Ellie duck her head down by her shoulders feeling herself shrink under his stern green eyes that were shooting daggers into the top of her ballcap. Ellie peered cautiously up at the man under the brim, her expression paled in timid unease completely aware of how rude she was as the fear of being punished surfaced to the forefront of her wide brown eyes.

Dean's fingers were splayed stiffly at his sides as he clenched and unclenched his fists as he fought the urge to grab the snarky girl and bending her over his hip and show her just how 'done' he was with the disrespect. He was agitated and stressed and downright angry, needless to say he did not need a smart mouthed teenager lipping off to him on top of everything else. The astute man was well aware of her resentment towards him and knew her jab was in bitter reference to him pushing her for information, something he was acutely informed that she loathed and feared.

Despite having every desire and justification to set a fire of motivation under ass to talk to him with respect, Dean restrained himself once again, for one reason only and that was the simple fact that the kid was scared and in pain dubbing that the reason for her lashing out at him. Dean saw the shadow of himself in her and knew all too well about masking one's pain and fear in sarcasm and wit. Not that it was acceptable by any stretch and it did not mean she wasn't in serious danger of provoking him into action if she didn't humble herself immediately. Dean bent his torso down until his stern green eyes leveled with the young girl's steadying his hard features upon her paled face.

"I get you might resent me right now, but that doesn't give you a free pass to be a disrespectful smartass and lip off to me, cause I'll tell you one thing, kid, this is the last time I put up with it. So, if you don't want me to light a fire of motivation across your ass in front of Sam and every goddam spirit in this place than you better start talking to me with some respect or you're gonna be up shit's cheek with me damn quickly. Am I clear, kid?" Dean demanded his sharp voice deep and laced with the last ounce of his patience.

Ellie pressed her lips into a tight bitter pout before turning her head to the side away from the Hunter's piercing glare concentrating her attention on a dirty crack in the floor. Ellie felt her cheeks flush with severe embarrassment as her chest cracked and swelled at the humiliating notion of getting spanked in middle of a Hunt for mouthing off. However, her embarrassment was not without a sharp bitterness she felt towards the Hunter thinking herself wronged and unfairly reprimanded. This was the second time she was threatened with a licking within the span of twenty-four hours just because the Hunter did not like what she had to say or when she was simply standing up for herself. Perhaps she could have expressed her opinions in a different, more polite way, but even still the situation didn't seem to warrant it as respect worked both ways. If he could rudely tell her to 'put a sock in it' than why was it unjust to tell him to take his own advice?

There was a part of her that knew there was a grave flaw in her logic, but Ellie ignored it, too annoyed and hurt and analysis things fairly and maturely as she allowed her ramped up emotions to dictate her thoughts. She was rude, yes, but she felt she was also right and the Hunter had no right to spank her for being right and having an opinion. Just because the man was an adult did not except him from criticism or being wrong. Ellie concluded he was just pissy because she called him out for being a hypocrite, but, unfortunately, since she was a kid, if her opinion pissed him off than she was subjected to be punished for it which was severely unjust in the teenager's way of thinking and made her downright angry.

Keeping her lips pressed in a tight pout, Ellie nodded her head curtly once to indicate that she had heard him, not feeling brave enough to be completely unresponsive to the daunting man. However, her stubbornness still held onto a shred of defiance by not giving him the courtesy of a verbal response that made her far more uneasy than she wanted to admit as her nerves tingled with jittery anxiety feeling her chest tighten with apprehension knowing fully well that she was pushing it.

Dean felt a brisk spike of annoyance shoot through him as he took a step forward invading Ellie's personal bubble like he owned it making it very clear that her head nod was unacceptable to the impatient man. The shadow of Dean's large frame cast over Ellie's small stature ominously like a dark cloud.

"You gonna answer me, little girl?" Dean demanded sternly, his graveled voice dripping low with warning, feeling his irritation bubble in his gut.

"Yes, sir." Ellie punctuated purposefully giving the man what he wanted, but in no way submitting to the threat as her tone indicated her displeasure and irritation of her own. She hated Dean's use of 'little girl', although it was true, she saw it as a mock to her character in some way dubbing her as powerless under his gruff authority.

The 'yes sir' she gave was just barely acceptable to Dean and he was tempted to give into his impulse and spank some common sense and courtesy back into that stubborn hard head of her's. His dad certainly would have, but Dean was not his father and found him fighting against the ridged authority he was shown as a child which may come to bite him in the ass later he concluded, but when it did, he would deal with it like he always has, but for right now he would let it go and give the sad and scared little girl a chance to curb it and direct his focus back on the case, something his agitated mind needed desperately.

Dean gave her one last look of grave dissatisfaction before turning away briskly. His muscles were tense and ridged as he trudged over the old electroshock device on the far table in no way free from his irritation, in fact, he was on the brink of losing it feeling a bite of regret for being so lenient as it fought against his learned instincts. His dad would have blistered his hide six ways till Sunday if he said anything like that to him. With Sam's bitching and the sassy teenager poking at his last nerve and Dean was finding himself having a hard time keeping it together at the moment.

As Dean was idly looking at the electro shock box on the table, a long-plated sign next to it caught his eye. He picked it up and turned over the dusty old rectangular plaque. "Sanford Ellicott." Dean read aloud as his green eyes scanned the plated lettering. "You know what we got to do? We've got to find out more about the South Wing." Dean remarked curtly his voice still holding a disgruntled bite to it before turning around to face Sam and Ellie with a clear indication that it was time to focus back on the case.

"See if something happened here." He declared firmly as he treaded his boots heavily in between Sam and Ellie, to which Ellie stepped briskly out of his path, not wanting to be anywhere near the irked man. Dean pushed the plated sign into his brother's chest, never breaking his stride and he trudged past them taking long weighed step out of the room finding a pressing need to gain a moment of piece in solitude.

He wanted to clear his stressed mind and focus all his attention on the case his dad assigned them. He was done with his brother's pushy insistence on dropping the whole matter to look for their dad and he was done with Ellie's inability to talk with respect, he was sure that kid was going to have a sore ass by the end of the week if she kept pushing him. Dean fought against his anger, frustration, and stress, pushing his emotions and burdens deep within heavy chest attempting to bury them. They had a job to do right now and that was to put whatever was going on here to rest and spare the lives at risk. There would be time for selfish pursuits later, but his dad sent them here and he damn well was going to see his dad's order through.

Sam held the rectangular plaque out in front of him reading 'Chief of Staff – Sanford Ellicott, M.D.' Sam inhaled a sharp breath before expelling in from his nostrils in a frustrated huff before smacking the sign down onto a nearby metal cart, harder than necessary sending a sharp echoing clang against the walls large room. Sam felt his restraining anger boiling in his blood not at all pleased with his brother's diehard attitude and inability to deviate even an ich against his dad's will. And if that wasn't bad enough, the man did not do a damn thing when Ellie got fresh with him and mentioned going after her uncle again. In Sam's mind, that was a severe mistake and thought Dean was being far too passive with the girl finding himself gravely disappointed when Ellie's disrespect toward his older brother went unpunished as he felt the young teenager was getting away scot-free on things that were flat-out unacceptable. She had far too many warnings about her mouth as of late and deserved a few good cracks on the ass to fall back in line. Despite her troubles, it did not give her an excuse or the right to mouth off to his brother so disrespectfully and to mention looking for her uncle to boot had the man's nerves searing.

Sam found his hot temper rising in heated frustration at his brother's insistence on being passive and dormant, not taking a stand for himself and allowing things to roll off his back that, in Sam's mind, shouldn't get the privilege on both Ellie's disrespect and his dad's avoidance. Sam respected Dean and looked up to him as a leader and his older brother, but the man's inability to take action and stray of his father's leash was aggravating.

Although Sam didn't rightly want to admit the parallels between himself and his old man, especially when it came to parental attitudes as he felt his childhood was jacked, nevertheless, it seemed Sam was unwittingly his father's son in many aspects and his rigidness on respect and obedience was one of them. And little did he know, they were all being brought out by the little girl whose life was now in their hands.

"Come on, Elena." Sam called shortly over his shoulder in a controlled and repressed manner as he strode out the door.

Ellie heaved out a sharp sigh through her nostrils before moving her heavy relucent legs and doing as she was told like a trained orderly she felt like. She'd just as soon stay with the angry spirits at this point than be in the presence of those two agitated men, but knew she didn't get the privilege to choose.

Two discontented Winchesters and one sulking teenage Colt exited the tormented Asylum, all feeling the hot burden of anger searing their testy nerves that the grisly place brought upon their distressed thoughts.

TBC


Stay tuned for Part 3.

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