"Yeah. You probably missed something, that's what." Dean said as we roared down the highway. "Dude, I ran LexisNexis, local police reports, newspapers, I couldn't find a single red flag." Sam exclaims.

"Are you sure you got the coordinates right?" I asked Dean as I leaned forward against their seat. "Yeah, I double checked. It's Fitchburg, Wisconson. Dad wouldn't have sent us coordinates if it wasn't important, guys." Dean said, angrily. "Well I'm telling you, I looked and all I could find was a big steamy pile of nothing. If Dad's sending us hunting for something, I don't know what." Sam said, frustrated.

"Well maybe he's going to meet us there." Dean said, shrugging. "Yeah. Cause he's been so easy to find up to this point." Sam remarked, rolling his eyes. "You're a real smart ass you know that?" Dean spat and the two brothers glare at each other before Dean looks back at the road. "Don't worry I'm sure there's something in Fitchburg worth killing." Dean said.

"Yeah? What makes you so sure?" Sam asked him. "Cause I'm the oldest, which means I'm always right." Dean said and I let a laugh. "No it doesn't." Sam said, shaking his head. "It totally does." Dean said as he glances at Sam then looks back at the road with a little grin.

In Fitchburg, Sam and I were leaning against the Impala staring at the playground when Dean crosses to the road to us, holding a drink carrier with three coffees. "Well...the waitress thinks the local freemasons are up to something sneaky but other than that no one's heard about anything freaky going on." Dean said as he hands us our coffee.

"Dean, you got the time?" Sam asked Dean, who looks at his watch. "Ten after Four. Why?" He asked and Sam and I nod towards the deserted playground, which only had one child playing and climbing. "What's wrong with this picture." I said and Dean looks the playground over.

"School's out isn't it?" Dean asked. "Yeah. So where is everybody?" I asked and Sam nods. "This place should be crawling with kids right now." Sam said just as a woman sits on a park bench, reading a magazine. Dean and I approach her.

"Sure is quiet out here." Dean said to her. "Yeah, it's a shame." She said and we give her a curious look. "Why's that?" I asked her. "You know, kids getting sick, it's a terrible thing." She replied.

"How many?" Dean asked her. "Just five or six but serious, hospital serious. A lot of parents are getting pretty anxious. They think it's catching." The woman said then the three of us watch the little girl playing by herself.

"Dude. Dude I am not using this ID." Sam growls as we enter the hospital and come up to the receptionist desk after we changed clothes. "Why not?" Dean asked. "Cause it says bikini inspector on it!" Sam exclaims and Dean and I start to smile. "Don't worry she won't look that close all right? Hell, she won't even ask to see it. It's all about confidence, Sammy." Dean said then he spins Sam to face the desk and he and I keep walking. 

"Hi. I'm Doctor Jerry Caplin, Centers for Disease Control." Sam said to the woman behind the desk while Dean and I watch him. "Can I see some ID?" She asked and Dean and I start to snigger. Sam throws us a dirty look before he looks back at the woman. "Yeah of course." He said and quickly flashes his ID to her then retracted it.

"Now could you direct me to the pediatrics ward please?" He asked her. "Okay well, just go down that hall, turn left and up the stairs." She said and Sam turns and approaches us, glaring at our smiles. "See. I told you it would work." Dean said as Sam shakes his head, irritably. "Follow me. It's upstairs." He grumbles and we walk down the corridor.

We walked down a few steps and I was about to turn to Dean when I noticed that he wasn't there. I turn and see Dean was staring inside of a room. "Dean!" I shouted and he jumps slightly then follows us.

"Well, thanks for seeing us, Dr. Hydecker." I said as the boys  and I walked down the corridor with the Doctor. "Well I'm glad you guys are here. I was just about to call CDC myself. How'd you find out anyways?" Hydecker asked us. "Oh some GP, I forget his name, he called Atlanta and, uh, he must've beat you to the punch." Dean explains, quickly, and Hydecker nods.

"So you say you got six cases so far?" Sam asked him. "Yeah, five weeks. At first we thought it was garden variety bacterial pneumonia. Not that newsworthy. But now..." Hydecker before he trails off. "Now what?" I asked him. "The kids aren't responding to antibiotics. Their white cell counts keep going down. Their immune systems just aren't doing their job. It's like their bodies are...wearing out." Hydecker said as a nurse comes up to him.

"Excuse me, Dr Hydecker." She said as she hands him some forms to look over and sign. "You ever see anything like this before?" Sam asked him. "Never this severe." Hydecker said. "And the way it spreads...that's a new one for me." The nurse said as she looks up at us.

"What do you mean?" I asked them. "It works its way through families. But only the children, one sibling after another." The nurse said and the boys and I share a glance for a moment.

"You mind if we interview a few of the kids?" Dean asked her. "They're not conscious." The nurse said. "None of them?" Sam asked, shocked. "No." The nurse said, shaking her head.

"Can we, uh, can we talk to the parents?" I asked them. "Well, if you think it'll help." Hydecker said and I nod. "Yeah. Who was your most recent admission?" Dean asked him.

Minutes later, the boys and I stood in front of a man, who was sitting in a chair against the wall, asking him questions. "I should get back to my girls." The man said. "We understand that, and we really appreciate you talking to us. Now you say Mary is the oldest?" Sam asked. "Thirteen." The man replied.

"Ok. And she came down with it first, right? And then..." I said and the man nods. "Bethany, the next night." He adds. "Within 24 hours?" I asked him. "I guess. Look, I, uh, I already went through all this with the doctor." The man said to us and we nod as Dean holds up a hand to him.

"Just a few more questions if you don't mind. How do you think they caught pneumonia? Were they out in the cold, anything like that?" Dean asked. "No. We think it was an open window." The man replied. "Both times?" Dean asked him. "The first time, I, I don't really remember but the second time for sure. And I know I closed it before I put Bethany to bed." The man said.

"So you think she opened it?" Sam asked him. "It's a second story window with a ledge. No one else could've." The man replied.

"You know this might not be anything supernatural. It might just be pneumonia." Sam said as we walked down the corridor of the hospital. "Maybe. Or maybe something opened that window. I don't know man, look, Dad sent us down down here for a reason. I think we might be barking up the right tree." Dean said.

"I'll tell you one thing." Sam mutters. "What?" Dean and I asked him. "That guy we just talked to? I'm betting it'll be a while before he goes home." Sam said, giving us a knowing look.

We break into that man's house and check Bethany's room with the EMF. "You got anything over there?" I asked Dean as he holds his device out. "Nah, nothing." Dean replied. "Yeah, me neither." Sam said as we keep checking until I move to the window and noticed something odd on the windowsill. 

"Hey boys?" I said. "Yeah." They said as I stare at the windowsill closer and see a handprint that had rotted into the wood. "You were right, Dean. It's not pneumonia." I said as they come over and see it as well.
"It's rotted. What the hell leaves a handprint like that?" Sam asked as Dean stares at it, intently.

Flashback 

*3rd Person POV*

Dean, who was around ten years old, was staring at a photo of a handprint when John and (father's name) come out of the bedroom, loading their sawn off. "All right. You know the drill, Dean. Anybody calls, you don't pick up. If it's me or (father's name), we'll ring once, then call back. You got that?" John said to Dean, who nods.

"Mm-hmm. Only answer the phone unless it rings once first." Dean repeated. "Come on, dude, look alive. This stuff is important." John said to him, firmly. "I know, it's just...we've gone over it like a million times and you know I'm not stupid." Dean said to his dad. "I know you're not, but it only takes one mistake, you got that?" John said to Dean, firmly.

"John, go easy on him. He's a smart boy, he can handle it." (Father's name) said to John, who stares at him. (Father's name) raises an eyebrow at John before they gather their weapons.

"All right, if we're not back Sunday night...?" John asked Dean. "Call Pastor Jim." Dean said to him. "Lock the doors, the windows, close the shades. Most important...." John said. "Watch out for Sammy and (y/n)." Dean said and they look over at Sam and (y/n), both of them sprawled on the couch, watching cartoons on TV. "I know." Dean said to the men as they nod.

"All right. If something tries to bust in?" John asked. "Shoot first, ask questions later." Dean replied and John smiles and places a hand on his shoulder. "That's my man." John said as (father's name) looks at his young daughter.

"(Y/n)." He calls and the young girl, with two ponytails, gets up and walks over to her dad. "Now, I'm gonna be gone for a few days, okay? You stay here and be a good girl." He said to her as he kneels down to her. "Yes, daddy." (Y/n) said. "Dean's in charge, so listen to him and don't give him too much of a hard time." (Father's name) said, smirking, as the girl nods.

"And you help out any way you can, alright?" He said. "Yes, daddy." (Y/n) said and her father smiles. "That's my girl." He said then he goes and kisses the top of her head. He stands up and turns to John, nods at him and the two men walk out of the motel room and, immediately, Dean goes to the door and locks it.

Present Day

*(y/n)'s POV*

"I know why Dad sent us here. He's faced this thing before. He wants us to finish the job." Dean said to us as he stares at the handprint, looking a bit sick.

"So what the hell is a shtriga?" Sam asked Dean after we pull up to a motel office and get out of the car. "It's...kinda like a witch I think. I don't know much about 'em." Dean replied. "Well I've never heard of it. And it's not in Dad's journal." Sam said.

"Dad and (father's name) hunted one in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin, about 16, 17 years ago. You two were there. You guys don't remember?" Dean asked. "No." Sam said. "Vaguely." I said as I think. "And I guess Dad caught wind of the things in Fitzburg now and kicked us the coordinates." Dean said.

"So wait, this...Shtriga. You think it's the same one our Dads hunted before?" I asked Dean. "Yeah, maybe." Dean said, shrugging. "But if Dad and (father's name) went after it why is it still breathing air?" Sam asked Dean. "Cause it got away." Dean replied, simply.

"Got away?" Sam and I asked as I start to think that this is very odd. My dad and John always made sure when they were hunting monsters, they made sure it would never come back. "Yeah, guys, it happens." Dean said, frustrated. "Not very often." Sam points out. "Yeah, especially if my dad was helping." I said to Dean. "Well I don't know what to tell ya, maybe our Dads didn't have their wheaties that morning." Dean said.

"What else do you remember?" I asked Dean. "Nothin'. I was a kid all right?" Dean said, defensively, before he goes into the office. Sam gives me a look and I shrug and follow Dean into the office as a young boy around ten or twelve years old comes up to the desk.

"Two queens." Dean said to the boy. The boy looks out the door and towards Sam then sniggers. "Yeah I'll bet." He mutters. "What'd you say?" Dean asked him and the boy looks up at him, smiling, and I raise an eyebrow at this.

"Nice car!" He said then I come up to Dean and pull out my card. "Hey, honey...you forgot your card." I said to him, sweetly. He looks at me, slightly confused, but I smiled at him and he caught on what I was doing and takes my card. "Thanks, sweetheart. What would I do without you?" He asked me and my smile widens. "Probably spontaneously combust." I said and Dean chuckles then he leans down and kissed my cheek.

My heart leapt for joy once his lips touched my cheek. He pulls back and I look down, in embarrassment, then looked over at the boy, who had a look of shock on his face.

Then a woman enters the building, smiling at all of us. "Hi." She greets. "Hi." Dean and I greet. "Checking in?" She asked. "Yeah." Dean said then the woman turns to the boy. "Ahh, do me a favor, go get your brother some dinner." She said to him. "I'm helping a guest!" The boy exclaims.

She gives him a look and he grimaces and turns to go. The boy looks at us and scoffs before he turns to the back. "Will that be cash or credit?" The woman asked as she goes to the computer. "You take MasterCard?" Dean asked and she nods. "Perfect. Here you go." Dean said and he glances at me and I nod then he hands my card to the woman.

Then Dean stares ahead and I follow his gaze to see the boy pouring a glass of milk for a younger boy.

Flashback 

*3rd Person POV*

Sam and (y/n) were sitting at the table as Dean pours them a glass of milk. "When's Dad gonna get back?" Sam asked Dean as he grabs a pot from the stove. "Tomorrow." Dean replied. "When?" Sam asked as Dean brings the pot over and pours the contents into Sam's bowl and then (y/n)'s bowl. "I dunno. He and (father's name) usually come in late though. Now eat your dinner." Dean said to the young kids.

"I'm sick of scabetti-ohs." Sam whines as (y/n) begins to dig into her dinner. "Well -- You're the one who wanted 'em!" Dean said, slightly annoyed. "I want lucky charms!" Sam said. "There's no more lucky charms." Dean said.

"I saw the box!" Sam argues as (y/n) looks between the boys, she always hated it when they argued like this. "Okay, maybe there is but there's only enough for one bowl and I haven't had any yet." Dean said and Sam gives puppy dog eyes.

Dean sighs then grabs Sam's bowl. "I'll take it if he won't finish it." (Y/n) said just as Dean was about to go to the trash. Dean turns to her. "You sure?" He asked her and she nods. Dean goes and pours the contents out of Sam's bowl into her bowl then places Sam's bowl in the sink. He grabs the cereal box and thumps it on the table instead.

Sam reaches into the box and grabs the toy then holds it out to Dean. "D'you want the prize?" Sam asked him, smiling.

Present Day

*(y/n)'s POV*

"Sir?" The woman said as she holds out the card to Dean, who seemed like he was lost in his thoughts. "I'll take it." I said as I take the card and elbow Dean. "Sorry. Uh...Thanks." Dean said, once he comes back to reality.

Later, the boys and I were sitting in the motel room while Sam was looking at his laptop. "Well, you were right. Heh. 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." Sam explains.

"Spiri-what?" Dean and I asked, confused. "Vitae. It's Latin, translates to breath of life. Kinda like your life force or essence." Sam explains. "Didn't the doctor say the kids' bodies were wearing out?" I asked Sam. "It's a thought. you know she takes your vitality maybe your immunity goes to hell, pneumonia takes hold. Anyway, shtrigas can feed off anyone but they prefer..." Sam said but then Dean and I finished his sentence.

"Children." We said and Sam nods.

"Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life force. And get this. Shtrigas are ...invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man." Sam explains. "No, that's not right. She's vulnerable when she feeds." Dean said and Sam and I give him a curious look.

"What?" We said, confused "If you catch her when she's eating you can blast her with consecrated wrought iron. Ahhh... buckshots or rounds I think." Dean said. "How do you know that?" I asked him. "Dad told me. I remember." He said. "Oh." I said.

"So uh, anything else Dad might have mentioned?" Sam asked Dean. "Nope, that's it." Dean replied but Sam and I keep staring at him. The way Dean was talking it sounded like he knew more than he was letting on, which is odd for Dean.

"What?" Dean asked us. "Nothing." Sam and I said before Sam continues. "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." Sam said.

"What kinda human disguise?" Dean asked him. "Historically, something innocuous. Could be anything, but it's usually a feeble old woman, which might be how the witches as old crones legend got started." Sam said then Sam crosses the room. "Hang on." He said.

"What?" Sam and I asked as Dean grabs a map. "Check this out. I marked down all the addresses of the victims. Now these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead center?" Dean points out and my jaw drops. "The hospital." I said and Dean nods.

"The hospital. Now when we were there I saw a patient, an old woman." Dean said as he turns to us. "An old person huh?" Sam asked. "Yeah." Dean said. "In a hospital? Phew." I said, shaking my head and sniggering. "Better call the Coast Guard, Sam." I said and Sam laughs. "Well listen, smart-ass, she had an inverted cross hanging on her wall." Dean said and Sam and I look over at Dean, serious. "Well, why didn't you say so." I said as Dean raises an eyebrow at me.

That night, we come down the hallway of the hospital, but we quickly duck back when we see Dr Hydecker. "Good night Dr Hydecker." A nurse said. "See you tomorrow, Betty." Hydecker said. "Try to get some sleep." The nurse said.

The boys and I hide until Hydecker passes, then we continue on to the old woman's room. We open the door and sneak in, Dean taking the front and Sam and I hanging back, guns drawn.

The woman was in her wheelchair facing toward the corner. She seemed to be sleeping. Dean slowly leans in closer and closer to her face until she turns her head and yells. "Who the hell are you?!"

Dean freaks and leaping back against a wall cabinet, pulling his gun up. "Who's there? You trying to steal my stuff?" She asked then she grumbles to herself. "They're always stealing around here."

Sam turns the light on and I come up to her other side to see she has cataracts. "No! Ah, ma'am, we're maintenance. We're sorry. We thought you were sleeping." Sam said to her. "Ahhh, nonsense. I was sleeping with my peepers open." She said then she laughs and gestures at the wall.

"And fix that crucifix, would ya? I've asked four damn times already!" She exclaims. Dean, still looking slightly freaked out, jogs the crucifix and it swings the right way up.