Amy walked close beside Rowan as they followed Emma and another agent down the nearly empty sidewalk that led to the end of the long street. The trees were blooming with beautiful pink and red flowers. The roses that clung to the wooden fences had erupted in various shades of yellows, pinks, and reds. With every deep inhale, Amy could smell spring in full swing.
They turned to the left, entering into a lush yard full of tall trees and blooming plants. The sidewalk wound its way around the gardens to the stone steps of a massive building. As Amy's eyes lifted up along the side of the building, she heard herself gasp at the sheer size of it. She now fully understood the importance of looking over the blueprints. They could easily get lost inside this massive building if they were not careful.
Standing before them was a beautiful grand house that stood seven stories tall. Green ivy climbed the walls in sections, rounded tower-like additions graced the corners and the occasional wall. The windows were tall, some beautiful stained glass, with elegant golden trimming. The balconies outside certain rooms overlooked the lush gardens and fountains below. It was a mesmerizing building to behold.
"What is this place?" Amy asked, unable to tear her dark eyes away from the building.
Emma's lips twisted into a sly smile as she glanced over her shoulder at the girl. "Welcome to the Winchester house."
In town, the time team found themselves sitting inside an old diner, dissecting the newspaper they took from the park bench. They had a couple of pages each, trying to find anything that would give them clues as to why they were there. Wyatt even tried asking the waitress about any strange newcomers but the woman seemed aloof and unhelpful.
Rufus sighed, dropping his pages onto the tabletop. "I've got nothing."
"Same," Wyatt mumbled as he let his fall to the table. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to work out the strain building. "What if Rufus is right? What if this is just a distraction to keep us here in hopes that we get caught in the earthquake?"
Flynn lifted his eyes over the top of his pages to watch Wyatt. He'd be lying if he didn't think the same thing as the soldier but something deep down inside told him this was important. He didn't know why. He turned back to his paper.
Lucy shook her head slightly. "I don't know. There's nothing in the paper to suggest otherwise." She brushed a strand of her hair to the side of her face before twisting her lips in thought.
Wyatt had seen that look far too many times. He knew she was thinking hard over historical details that might even seem minuscule. He kept his eye on her but remained silent as she usually got upset when he interrupted her train of thought.
Flynn continued reading his paper when something caught his attention from the men sitting behind him in the next booth. He blinked, listening carefully to their conversation.
"That crazy old woman is building more onto that house?" one of them asked, almost shocked.
His friend replied, "I saw more workers show up this morning."
"How much more could she possibly add to that house?"
"Beats me," the second replied. "There were a few women too, so maybe I am misinformed. Perhaps they are servant staff."
Flynn folded his papers and set them down. "I know where they are."
The team turned to him. "What?" Lucy asked, stunned. "Where?"
He motioned with his head as he slipped out from the booth and made his way toward the door. The others followed him out. As they walked down the lane, Flynn turned to Rufus and asked, "Do you happen to remember which direction the Winchester house is located?"
"The Winchester house?" Rufus repeated, brows furrowed. Finally, his expression turned from confusion into amusement. "Lawrence, Kansas." The answer resulted in a few rolled eyes.
Lucy blinked, almost stunned that she hadn't come up with the answer sooner. "Of course," she gasped. "I forgot the house was here!"
"When did Sam and Dean move to Santa Clara?" Rufus asked.
Flynn knitted his brows together as he glanced at Rufus. "I thought you knew the area?"
"Yeah," Rufus began. "For the important tech-related stuff-"
Lucy waved their comments aside. "Sarah Winchester's husband was the man who invented the Winchester rifle," she began to explain. "After his death, she inherited his fortune and she believed the unfortunate souls who lost their lives by his invention had come back to exact their revenge on her and her family."
"Meaning what?" Rufus questioned as they continued down the sidewalk.
Wyatt chimed in. "Meaning after losing her child and spouse, she went crazy." He motioned to his head to show 'crazy' as he met Rufus's stare.
Lucy sighed, head bobbing to the side. "She thought their deaths were not natural and thought she was cursed because of it, so she bought an unfinished estate and continued expanding on it to deter any ill will toward her that the spirits might have left over."
Rufus's face contorted. "That's crazy though..."
Lucy motioned with her hands as though that statement proved the point she was trying to make. "So, if Rittenhouse is here and if they are targeting the Winchester house...it makes me wonder why."
"You don't think this Sarah Winchester is Rittenhouse, do you?" Rufus asked. "I mean, do you think that's why they're here?"
The looks they exchanged told Rufus they hadn't considered this as an option. Wyatt touched his jacket where his gun was holstered. "Then we best be careful."
The team found themselves entering the lush gardens of the massive estate. Rufus's mouth fell agape as he stared at it. "I would have remembered this back home..."
Lucy's head cocked as she looked at the grandiose house. "Actually, it's much different in our time. It's only four stories back home-"
"So, are we just going to walk up and knock on the door?" Wyatt questioned.
"We've done it before," Flynn remarked as he began to approach the front steps. They watched as he stopped at the door before knocking on it. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if they were planning on joining him.
Lucy was the first to come up to the door, glancing up at him briefly before staring at the door. The other two made their way slowly just as the door opened.
Standing on the other side of the door was a servant, dressed in professional, almost stereotypical fashion. The man's brown hair was slicked back, shining from too much oil. His brown eyes bounced between the team members. "May I be of assistance?"
Flynn gave him a curt nod. "Hello, yes. Is your mistress around?"
The man nodded. "She's entertaining guests at the moment."
"These guests," Flynn began. "Wouldn't happen to be strangers who showed up here earlier today? A red-haired woman, perhaps?" He held his hand out beside him. "Yay high?"
The servant eyed them for a moment before nodding ever so slightly. He shifted under their gaze, almost as if he were being watched from somewhere inside the house. He didn't elaborate or answer the question with words. Flynn gave him a quick nod, letting him know that he understood.
"You can ask the servants who are in the back of the house," the man suggested, pointing around the house. "They might be able to help you find what you're looking for."
Flynn gave a small smile, tugging Lucy along as the servant closed the door. Lucy's brows were furrowed as she stumbled over her feet beside the man. "What's going on?" she asked.
"He is telling us to use the servants' entrance," Flynn explained as they continued onward, around the house. "We might just be able to slip inside without them knowing."
They followed the small garden path to the servants' entrance that sat on the bottom floor of the building. Flynn walked up to the door and turned the handle, finding it unlocked. He glanced over his shoulder at the others, silently motioning to them with his head to follow him inside.
The inside of the house was just as grand as the outside. There were massive windows inside the house, most of the materials used were made from wood. There were staircases and fireplaces all over the place and even elevators.
Wyatt whistled low. "This place is insane!"
Lucy nodded. "We could get lost in here," she stated. "There are over 160 rooms - some secret...also," she quickly added, holding her finger up. "The staircases might lead you to a dead-end...so...just be aware."
"Should we split up?" Wyatt asked, eyes still wide as he took in all the details of the place.
Lucy wanted to shake her head but Flynn said, "I don't think that'd be wise right now. We should stick together. Find Rittenhouse and Sarah Winchester first."
"Where would we even look?" Rufus asked, still glancing about the massive house. "This is like a Fun Maze House at a carnival...just, you know, without the fun..."
Footsteps echoed from behind them. As they turned to look, they came face to face with non-other than Sarah Winchester. "I see I have more guests," she said, glancing about the team, a look of wariness washing over her expression. "Just as I had earlier today - a group of four..."
"Are you all right, ma'am?" Wyatt asked. "You look unwell-"
Sarah's eyes narrowed at him. "I will not answer to malevolent spirits."
"Wait, what?" Rufus muttered. He pointed to himself. "You think we're spirits?"
"Everyone who comes into this house searching for me," she began. "Is seeking revenge against me for what my late husband did in this life. And just like the four spirits before you, you too shall lose your way, trapped in this house forever!"
Rufus almost expected her to laugh manically after her monologue. He was disappointed that she hadn't.
"Ma'am-" Wyatt tried to say, hand outstretched to stop her from bolting from the room.
They watched as Sarah Winchester rushed to the far wall and opened a hidden door that swung open from the paintings that hung on the wall before she slipped inside, and closed it behind her. Wyatt sprinted forward, trying to keep the door open but as he tried to reach out for it, he found it firmly locked and unable to find the hidden switch to open it again.
"I guess we better split up," Wyatt stated, running a hand through his hair. "Any guesses where to begin?"
Lucy shook her head. "I have no idea," she started. "I came here once a long time ago...I mean..." she finally shook her head of the time travel flub and said, "It's different in our time than now..."
Wyatt sighed. "Let's go..." He held his hand out to Lucy, who promptly took it and they headed toward the west wing of the house.
Rufus glanced over to Flynn. "Guess that means it's you and me...East?"
Flynn nodded slowly, thinking about the house. He knew of the house but having never set foot inside, he wondered how lost they would become. He also knew that Rittenhouse was in the house, too. Dangers were lingering around every corner. He removed his gun from his jacket, deciding that it was better to go into it prepared than not.
Rufus eyed the man's handgun. "Are you sure that's wise?"
Flynn glanced over to Rufus before looking at his gun. "What are you talking about?"
"Remember what Lucy said?" Rufus started. "The woman's afraid ghosts are after her for her husband's invention...the rifle?"
"Does this look like a rifle to you?"
"A gun is a gun is a gun," Rufus muttered as he fell into line with Flynn.
Ignoring Rufus, Flynn led them carefully through the house, following the hallway that would lead them to a set of double stairs, leading in opposite directions. Rufus glanced up each stairwell. "What are the odds that they meet up at the same place?" Flynn held his stare for a moment, giving him a doubtful expression. Rufus nodded glumly. "I thought so." With a heavy sigh, Flynn reached into his jacket, removing another handgun from his holster, passing it over to Rufus. Rufus hesitated to take it. "You want us to split up?"
"We'd cover more ground this way," Flynn suggested.
Rufus shook his head. "Have you ever seen a horror movie? Splitting up the party is always the worst idea-"
"Rufus-"
"I think we should stick together-"
"Rufus," Flynn repeated, voice growing sharp. "We don't have time for this."
Rufus's lips curled into a sneer as he snatched the gun from Flynn's outstretched hand. "Fine. If I die, I'm coming back Ghostbuster style and haunting your ass!"
"Wouldn't expect anything less from you."
Rufus chuckled slightly at Flynn's remark, clearly not expecting that. He glanced up the stairs to the left. "I guess I'll go left and hope they led to nowhere."
Flynn nodded. "I'll head the opposite way. If you end up in a dead-end, meet back here."
The two split up and began ascending their separate stairs. Flynn cautiously continued up the creaking steps. As he rounded the corner, he saw the stairs continued further up and a small hallway that led deeper into the next floor. He glanced up the stairs then down the hall, weighing his options carefully.
Sounds of footsteps further up the stairs thumped overhead. Flynn gritted his teeth, listening to the sounds carefully. Whoever was up there was alone and they sounded small - not like a man's gait. He decided to take a chance and continued up the stairs to see who he'd find at the top.
Seeing the end of the stairs before him, Flynn slowed his pace, cautiously glancing over the last of the steps to see where the person was. His eyes landed on Emma as she seemed to be trying to find a hidden entry within the hallway. He aimed his weapon as he darted up the last steps.
She whirled around, gun in hand. She didn't even hesitate as she pulled the trigger several times.
The bullets snapped by Flynn as he darted into a nearby hallway to avoid getting shot. Splinters from the wooden walls blew out from the bullets. Flynn waited for a break in her fire before popping his head around the corner, gun aimed forward.
She was gone. He scanned the hallway, searching for any indication of where she had slipped by. With his gun still pointing out before him, he studied the ornate rugs in the hallway, looking for any sign of them being disturbed. They were flat. He glanced up to peer further down the hallway. Movement at the very end caught his attention. He bolted toward the end to catch up.
As he rounded the corner, he saw a door to a hidden passageway beginning to close. Breaking into a sprint, Flynn reached out to stop the door from closing. He slipped inside, raising his gun once again at the figure within.
Staring back at him, mouth agape, hands raising in defense was Tenley. She stepped back quickly within the small room, back into the wall.
Flynn's eyes darted about the inside of the small room. It was a dead end with no other entrance or exit other than the one behind him. He heard the door close behind him, clicking loudly as it latched.
He raised his hands, showing her he wasn't going to harm her. "I'm not going to hurt you..."
She didn't respond, let alone blink as she stared at him with her wide eyes. Her breathing had picked up, showcasing her fear.
He put his gun back in his holster, hands still up. "Tenley?" He took a small step toward her. He watched as her posture turned rigid and he stopped. "I know you don't remember much -"
"I remember kissing you," she blurted out. "Why do I remember kissing you?"
He blinked at her, words caught in his throat. He hadn't expected her to remember something like that. Hearing her admittance, Flynn so desperately wanted to tell her exactly why she remembered kissing him. He wanted to tell her that he knew her favorite book and how she took her coffee. He wanted to tell her that he thought her faded freckles were like constellations. He wanted her to know that her laugh was one of his favorite sounds and he missed it - how she had beguiled him, mind, body, and soul - that she was his world.
The two of them stared at each other in silence - with her waiting on him to answer and him trying to think of how to respond. Her hands quaked as she held them up, unsure of what to do. Her heart hammered against her ribcage as she watched him carefully.
Without warning and without even thinking about doing it, Flynn closed the distance between them. He kissed her. He couldn't think of anything else to say to her but he knew he was home the moment his lips connected with hers. He had missed her breath on his skin as he pulled away from her just as quickly as he had kissed her.
She blinked at him, completely stunned. She lowered her hands. "That was..." she paused, sighing. "Not helpful."
He laughed softly before saying, "I'm sorry...I just-"
"My name isn't Amy, is it?" she asked suddenly.
He shook his head. "No."
"What does Rittenhouse want with me?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Flynn's face fell. "I don't know..." He saw her nod slowly as she took in his words. He asked, "What about Bloodstone? Do they want you for something?"
Confusion washed over her face. "Who?"
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