6251/Librarian: Fancy Meeting You Here

Librarian: Fancy Meeting You Here
Date of Scene:	22 January 2019
Location:	New York
Synopsis:	May drops in on Sam and Willow's road trip. Plans are made and breakfast is had.
Cast of Characters:	Sam Winchester, Willow Rosenberg, Melinda May
Tinyplot:	The Librarian

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Sam Winchester has posed:
Monticello, New York - Happy Trails Motor Lodge

They'd hit the first auction and while it wasn't a total bust, they hadn't found any of the book here, just a lead to their next lead. Willow knew most of the details, Sam *ahem* that is Agent Hamil of the FBI, had done a bit of digging and found that someone else had been looking into the auction too, but they vanished before they could be tracked down.

It made things interesting. So, as Sam got dressed, he slipped his 9mm into the back of his jeans, and then grabbing his bag, left his room and headed to knock on Williow's door. "Hey, you ready to go?" he calls through the door.

See, separate rooms. Taking a road trip with boys isn't that scary. Of course, it was probably best not to ask how Sam was paying for all of this.

Also, given the fact that he and Willow weren't the only ones on the hunt, Sam had left a message with May, for any insight or backup she might be able to provide.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Right. So they'd got there. And the auction.. well, Sam considered it a bust, but Sam wasn't Willow, and Willow had one of those tingy niggly something is off feelings that left her feeling that they were still on the right track. After all, she'd not actually expected anything they were looking for to be here - she just knew that this was the start of the breadcrumb trail based on how her searches had gone so far: nothing; nothing; bunches of things that made no sense; and then the slowly coallescing realization of pages that had those three types of things in common - obituaries, retail ads, and auction houses specializing in estate sales.

Like Willow had said, there had been two competing houses covering the sale, and when they got there it was clear why - there were numerous things that fit better in one category over another, and while the land lots, and equipment were dealt with outside, she and Sam had viewed the things indoors, Willow holding onto their number paddle as Sam wove them a path through the crowds. They'd even sat through the entire auction only to find that nope, nothing there tweaked any response or even an iota of a ping on Willow's laptop. And by the time it was all done, it was too late to head home.

Cuce the overnight stay, and while idly surfing the web, one of those auction houses kept showing up in MeTube ads. Idly at first, but then with insistance. A quick search showed they were doing another sale - a mid week sale, which was unusual - but it was again the distance they'd travelled outside of New York.. still further away.

Sam had blythely insisted they pack up the car and follow the trail. Willow? Not so convinced. Especially as the remainder of the sandwiches she'd packed would get them through breakfast.

Melinda May has posed:
Knowing that this scavenger hunt of sorts could be a complete dead end, May still approved it for Sam, and she is why there aren't any questions about where the money for the rooms is coming from. She doesn't send agents out unprepared. She also knows that both Winchester brothers are more comfortable with cash (untraceable), hence his spending allowance isn't a SHIELD issued credit card that'll require an expense report after the fact. She DOES, however, expect receipts for every last penny spent and the unused remainder returned. After all, the young man is still receiving a salary as well.

It's not long after the two have retired to their hotel rooms that there's a terse knock at Sam's door, promptly followed by a text saying simply, 'It's May'.

Sam Winchester has posed:
The phone in Sam's pocket buzzed before Willow had answered her door, he checked the text, and then walked around the corner to see his room door with May standing out front.

"Hey May, down here," he called to the agent. "Just waking Willow up." Though like as not the wiccan had been up all night on her computer. Not that Sam was any less guilty of that.

"Thanks for coming, breakfast is definitely on me."

He casts a glance back towards Willow's door to see if she was up yet.

Melinda May has posed:
Turning to where Sam appears around the corner, May nods and heads over to Willow's hotel door. If the young woman doesn't answer the door in the next sixty seconds, she's picking the lock. And she doesn't care if it's one of the magnetic key card types. She'll still pick it open.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow: Still no clue where Sam gets money. Or that this is actually legitimately funded. She knows he gave her his bus pass (she still feels guilty about that), and she suspects he tricks people (she isn't about to say lies, cheats, and steals, because then she'd really have to not accept anything from him and.. yeah). But she is counting sandwiches.

If she gave Sam one, and had half a one for herself, then she'd have half for lunch... but none for Sam.. but wait! There were still three apples. So if she gave Sam a sandwich and she ate an apple, then he could have a sandwich for lunch, which got them as far as..

The math of it was never going to add up. As it was, she really didn't want to know who his friends were that he got the money for the rooms from, because what if they were like drug lords, or criminals, or..

By the time Willow opened her door, Willow had worked herself into a frenzy of "We have to go home!" her eyes wide and worried, and widening even further at this strange woman *picking her lock*.

Cue Willow attempting to hit May over the head with her laptop.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam steps aside as May goes to pick the lock. "Yeah, you're on your own there, she might be naked or whatever," he says moving out of the line of sight of the door.

Though he had to admit he was a little worried, otherwise he'd have told May to cool it. Maybe those guys looking into the sale had got her.

/Cool it, Sam/ he told himself. /Not every girl you hang out with ends up dead/

He takes a moment to check the parking lot and by the time he's turning back the door is open and Willow has her laptop raised.

Well, Willow as alive and safe, but only likely for the next couple of seconds. "Wait!" he calls out. "Willow it's cool."

Melinda May has posed:
The moment the door pops open on her, May starts to straighten up again. And the laptop being raised at her? Please. Like a particular hacker has never done similar when startled in the middle of a hefty computing session.

Making it look almost nonchalant, she reaches up and snatches the computer out of the young woman's hands and then just stands there with it, mostly because if this were someone ELSE'S laptop and it came even close to the thought of being dropped and broken....

"Ms. Rosenburg, I presume."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Hey! That's mine!" Willow protests as May snatches the laptop. And while Willow doesn't know Skye, she's also, interestingly enough, short. Which makes 'keep away' with the laptop really easy.

Except Willow kicks shins.

"You can't just..." One foot hauls off to kick one May shin, even as it registers in her brain that the lock picking stranger knows her name. Willow's lips forming a small "oh" of surprise, and relenting, though whether or not the message not to kick reaches her foot in time is totally at the whim of the universe.

She does, however, manage to look sheepish regardless, and murmurs sheepishly, "You know my name." Which isn't helpful at all in the grand scheme of why is this lady here, picking her lock (why is she picking her lock?!?) and Sam vouching for her.. (why is Sam not upset that said lady was picking her lock, even if he knows her? Just want sort of people has she just gotten herself in with?)

Sam Winchester has posed:
Wow would kicking shins be a bad idea.

"Whoa, Willow, it's cool, this is May, she's a friend. We were worried when you didn't come to the door."

Sam turns a look towards May. "Don't hurt her, she's honestly a good person."

Like he had to defend the person who was having their room broken into as being good.

Melinda May has posed:
May blocks that weak attempt at a kick with one of her own boots, but isn't striking back in any way. She simply offers the laptop back to Willow. "May we come in, or are you going to hide in your room some more?"

Note she herself didn't mention being worried. She doesn't emote worried. She emotes ... Vulcan. She could make the 2009 Spock seem wildly emotional.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow flushes, and is secretly glad her kick is warded off so easily, accepting her laptop back. "I wasn't hiding. I was..." Now, here's the point where she should stop herself, because what comes out of her mouth next is probably not something she wants the stranger to know, let alone Sam, who Willow already knows will suggest some way to pay for things that will not only leave Willow indebted to him, but also questioning how he gets his money anyway. However, her mouth didn't get the memo. "...counting sandwhiches."

Pause.

"Oh." The flush of her cheeks deepening as she steps aside and invites the pair into her room, hissing at Sam, "You could have texted, or called. She was *picking my lock*." Like didn't these people hear of knocking? And who was this.. decidedly well put together and carries herself like a scary woman person anyway."

Willow knew the look. Buffy was her Beste, after all.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam grins. "Counting..." he begins before holding up a hand. "Nevermind, don't even want to ask."

Then as he enters the room and she whispers at him. "What? And tip your kidnappers off we were on to you being gone?" he asks like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, I made sure I wasn't looking when she was opening the door, in case you were just in the shower or something."

Not that letting a strange woman getting a look at Willow's goods was any better. Hunter logic, am I right?

He raises his voice to a normal speaking level, "Willow this is May," he lets May fill in the career details if she wishes. "A contact of mine, I sent her a message last night to see if she might be able to help us with the case. May, this is Willow, but sounds like you already know that," because of course May does.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Just in case I was in the shower or something?" Willow hisses back. "Like that makes it okay? She was picking my lock!"

Okay, that last bit was a little louder than Willow meant it to be. And even Sam's introductions don't go terribly far to mollify the redhead.

"Hi," she mutters. Adding belatedly, "Sorry about the laptop." While thinking: but you /were/ picking my lock.

Melinda May has posed:
Since Sam introduces her as a contact, she's perfectly fine with leaving it that way. "Not the worst thing someone's tried to hit me with." She seems awfully blaise about it, too. "So next time we'll just let some nefarious others do as they please with you while we stand outside and pick our noses while we wait."

Uh oh. Willow's lack of filter has set off her snark response. Either that, or she's been forced to spend too much time around the two foulest-mouthed young agents in SHIELD currently. It's a close call.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam spreads his hands as if to say, what can I say? Really this all seemed normal to him but then he grew up with Dean and that was bound to give him a skewed perspective.

"Hey, hey, it's all good, nobody was kidnapped, clobbered or naked, so, let's not get bogged down with who's picking whose lock," he says taking a seat on the bed.

"Anyhow, like I said, I called May to give us a hand, think you could catch her up on your lead?" he asks.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Right, cue defcon 4 in flushing colour... and a titch of the temper that is rightfully the purview of reds. "If you really were a bad guy hitting you over the head is the right response! Or was I supposed to stand there picking my nose waiting for Sam to remember I existed?"

Sam. Totally thrown under the bus there. Without regret or impunity.

She doesn't seem to have a lot more to say - at least without blurting out stuff that would reveal her extra-curricular activities, and until she knows more about who and what this contact is, other than scary, and probably best on her side in a fight, Willow is trying not to blurt out more than she already has. But that doesn't mean she has to be happy about it.

"You could have told me you were calling someone to give us a hand," Willow tells Sam, clearly hurt. Whole reams of 'you didn't think I was good enough' hiding in there. And lets face it, when you're Buffy's sidekick, and you're still floundering around getting control of your magic, you earn the right to feel that way from time to time.

Sam's taken the bed, so Willow grabs a chair. "What does she know already?" She's asking, but she's also already booting up her laptop and readying to pull up webpages, because if history has taught her anything, she can say what she wants, but everyone wants to *see* what it is she says she can do, or is going on.

Melinda May has posed:
"I know that you and Sam are tracking down some important books, or pages from a book." While it's entirely likely that May knows far more than that, that's simple and ambiguous enough that anyone who could possibly overhear can just as easily think they're after original first edition pressings of classic novels or some such. Totally innocent, right?

"The particulars are more Sam's speciality than mine." And really, she's okay with that. She moves to claim the only other chair in the room, looking at Sam as she does so. There was an offer of breakfast? May DID have to deal with early morning Manhattan commuter traffic to get here, after all.

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Sorry," Sam said. "Late night brain wave, wasn't sure if I should wake you or not." And honestly he didn't expect the agent to appear by morning so if nothing else he figured he'd had time.

"And yeah, she knows we're looking for books, plus she was there when," ahem. "The blue guy got loose. So she's got a pretty good idea of the stakes. So, I think it's fair to say we can read her in on all of it. She could really help, she's got a lot of resources at her disposal."

As for the food situation. "Hey we should get breakfast, do we have sandwiches or I could call for some room service."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Well, then, if May was there when blue guy got loose, this got a whole lot simpler. And much like another laptop toting young lady of May's acquaintence, Willow gets down to business.

"Well, I've been trying to track the pieces down with my laptop here, but the scrying wasn't going all that well until just a bit ago. Sam said the pieces want to be together, and I think he's right. I mean, I don't know that he's right, but I think so, and I think some of them are getting closer to one another."

Flips her laptop to May, and there are.. well, they aren't like webpages May has seen before, but they do bear a similarity.

"See? All of this started popping up. I wasn't sure.."

Sam's words filter through and Willow stops dead in her explanatory tracks, biting her lower lip. "We have two sandwiches. Two sandwiches and three apples," she amends. And one of the apples was really small. Looking sheepish as it was going to be difficult to mention she couldn't afford room service in front of their guest. Though a solution offers itself. "I could have that, and you guys go ahead and order something. It'll let me do some more scrying. I'm still trying to figure out which of the auction houses it is we're supposed to be following."

Because by now she was sure that was the lead, and not the obituaries or the realty ads - though they were related in that you couldn't have an estate sale without a death (usually) or an estate.

Melinda May has posed:
May looks at the information on the laptop, committing the important points to memory as is her habit, and then looking at the redhead again as she comments about sandwiches for a second time. "Room service, Sam." She doesn't say 'use the per diem' outright, but she might as well have.

"Something to supplement the sandwiches and apples. And hot tea, please." She's not going to expect much in quality, but a hot beverage will go a long way, even if it is lackluster.

It was likely already stated to Sam, but he is supposed to also be including the receipts for any amounts they have to pay at the auctions for the items they're seeking. Though May is getting the impression that Ms. Rosenberg does not actually know where Sam got the money for this excursion.

Sam Winchester has posed:
See! Not all Sam's money was shady, just classified.

"Room service it is," Sam says getting up off the bed to go pick up the phone. "Eggs and toast work for everyone? Could do bacon too, if that's alright with everyone," he guessed Willow as Jewish by upbringing if not actual practice, so he didn't want to assume either way. "And tea, of course."

As he waits for a reply he gets back to the case, "And Willow, you can definitely have room service with us. It's cool. Consider it a freebie."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
As far as Willow is concerned, it could still all be shady - she has no clue May is legit anything, other than dangerous, and as already stated, Willow lived with dangerous. She knew what that looked like even if you put it in a party dress and took it to dinner.

"Room service is awfully expensive," Willow says with a frown. Because the less of the possibly shady money spent, the less guilty she was going to feel about it all. Giving Sam a look that says 'nothing is a freebie'.

Willow mumbles, having lost some steam, "I think we're supposed to go here next." Showing May the page that jumped out more clearly to her - though there were two pages, one for each of the auction houses. "The other guys seem to be more interested in.. well, they do household stuff, but at this last place, they were the ones doing the equipment. And the larger sets of furniture. The other guys seem to be in charge of the smaller, more esoteric items. That's why I think they're the ones we're supposed to follow. I just can't figure out why the other pages haven't disappeared yet."

And, indeed, they hadn't. There were still two trails to follow, and by choosing one, they'd be setting off on a path that wasn't absolute, but could lose them valuable time, and more importantly, possible chances at the items. And given that they were trying to get the items to *stop* them from being used together, Willow hadn't discounted that she and Sam were being worked against by the items themselves.

Melinda May has posed:
"Would it help if I had some other associates go to one auction while you go to the other?" May studies the two auctions that refuse to disappear, about ready to ask for another WAND team -- perhaps Croft -- to assist with this hunt.

She gives Willow another evaluating look at the comment about the cost of room service, then reaches into her jacket and pulls out a slim wallet. "I'll pay for breakfast. This time."

And she'll likely be adding the receipt to Sam's expense report.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam was all ready to open his mouth and say he's got it but May gets there first.

He gestures her way and says, "See, done deal. What do you want?" he asks Willow. "No holding back. May's got deep pockets." Like flying aircraft carrier deep but of course he leaves that out.

May's proposal does get Sam's attention. "Could work," he says looking to Willow for confirmation. "The question is will they be able to find what we're looking for, I mean even for us it's a we know it when we see it sort of thing."

Or rather know it when Willow's magic shows them the way, but it was all the same to him.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow's eyes widen into saucers as May pulls out her wallet and says it's on her. "I didn't mean.. Oh gosh.." And quickly calculates what a week's pay was.. even as she worried about getting back in time for Thursday's shift at the coffeeshop she'd /just/ gotten a job at to help make ends meet. It had been one of those perfect time perfect place things where the owner was *just* putting up the sign, and given the slow foot traffic, Willow was certain she'd be able to study on the side. "Oh, no, no. It's okay, I can pay for my own."

Which was an outright lie, and sadly, Willow was not a very good liar, but drastic times and all that. It was bad enough Sam knew she and Buffy were flat broke and was willing to help foot the bill for things.

It was easier to refocus on who to send where. "That might help?" Willow offers cautiously. "Though right now half of what we're doing kinda needs me there." Because while some of the items were likely to be recognizeable, any time Willow narrowed the search down to specifically the texts, the searches threw up garbage. Nearly unintelligable results. She was counting on getting a reaction by being near them, though that was really just a guess on her part. Nothing she could prove would happen.

Melinda May has posed:
At that May levels the kind of flat look at Willow that foul-mouthed baby agents are likely very familiar with. Then, she pulls a single bill from her wallet -- a $100 -- and hands it to Sam. "You're a poor liar, Ms. Rosenberg. Go ahead and order some waffles as well, Sam." Because dealing with this child is going to drive her to either start drinking or to eating junk food. And the latter is actually the lesser of those two evils. Barely.

"Let me see who I can get in contact with, then." She pulls her phone and checks the time, then taps in a message to SHIELD Ops to see which WAND agents are available.

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Got it," Sam says blowing past Willows objections. "Oh hey, yeah, this is room 109, we'd like waffles, lots of waffles, also some eggs, and toast..." he rattles off the rest including tea and coffee. He clearly doesn't have any objections to taking someone else's money to pay for things. Call it habit.

Once the order is done he sets down the phone. "Ten minutes," he says to the ladies before dropping down on the bed, the springs squeeking in protest.

"Maybe the guys can keep an eye on things until we get there?" he suggests as a compromise. "To make sure the bad guys," if there were bad guys. "Don't make off with the stuff while we're checking the other spot out."

He looks to see what the others think about the idea.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow ponders. "I'm not exactly sure how you think they can hold onto things until we get there." She points out, for Sam's benefit, that the auction she didn't pick this time, was quite a ways south of where they were heading next. "Distance, Sam. It's a thing."

More pondering.

"Maybe I Have something for that." She considers the magic in her repertoire and considers whether or not she might be able to set something up that would help them (or someone else) identify if what they were looking at was what they were looking for.

As for breakfast, Willow looks utterly chagrined. She knows she's a poor liar under the best of circumstances. She just wasn't sure what to do about things at this very second. Offering to pay May back seemed not only a bit foolish, but almost laughable for someone who carries $100 bills around in her billfold as a matter of course.

"Thanks for breakfast," Willow manages.

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Sam when he notes when the food will arrive, then looks at Willow again. "I'm guessing that you have a particular way of determining which items are of interest. If you have a way to share that ability with others, it would be immensely useful. Is it somethign that will take time or resources to acquire or create?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Sure, but there's a lot of them," Sam says of WAND. "They can keep things locked down until we can get there."

Though the idea of porting over the detection mojo does change the dynamics.

"Or, yeah, we can show them how to sense what we're looking for, either works. I mean, if it's possible anyhow."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
It's a helpless look that Willow gives May. "It's not exactly something I can give others the ability to do? You kinda can do it or you can't. But I Might be able to.." And there's the moment where she either says it, or doesn't. "..cast a spell or something that might help. It'll take a bit of time though, and I'm not sure I have the right things for it. And it would take time.."

In short, she could probably narrow the playing field with some minor divination on an object to help another team 'see' items they were looking for, but to locate the book - she was going to need time, and materials.

And yes, she did say cast a spell. Willow winces prepatorily for May's reaction, because this is the point where most people give her stink eye. Except Sam. Sam had as much as called her borderline evil and cavorting with demons.

Melinda May has posed:
May stares at Willow for a moment, then says just as calmly as she's done everything else, "Let me add a bit of specificity. Do you have enough time before these auctions start to prepare the spell you've referred to as well as teach someone how to use it?"

She doesn't ask about resources, because really, she has all of WAND's resources at her beck and call.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow looks thoughtful. She's not exactly created an object or spell for others to use before, but in her mind, the principle of the thing should be the same. Spell imbued into something, with a command word. At worst, it wouldn't work. At best, it did what she wanted.

The bigger question was coudl she do it. Did she have time enough, and what materials would she need?

That May didn't even blink an eye has the young woman peering at her. "That's it? No are you kidding? No yeah, right, sure, what do you do? Just.. do I have time and the materials to do it?"

"Probably not before this next auction," Willow says finally. "I'm not sure what all I'm going to need. Or where we can get them out here. But if I'm right, and the two paths remain until we do the thing that removes one of them, that shouldn't matter too much. I'm willing to bet as long as we follow one of the paths we'll still get options for both."

Not to mention, they had the names of both auction houses. Things could be looked up. It would be harder, as her scrying did seem to be pointing them at specific sales, but it could be done.

It didn't even occur to Willow, yet, that maybe there were still two paths because there were items, or the potential of items, at both. And were that true, she and Sam truly couldn't be in two places at once.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam nods, "Well, can you work up a list of what you'll need while we drive? I figure if we hit the next auction then have time for the spell after we should be set."

He looks to Willow for confirmation. Then on to May, he asks, "Think your friends might be able to help us with supplies."

Melinda May has posed:
At that May nods slowly. "Then we'll plan on going that route for the subsequent auctions. Sam, get me the list of supplies once Ms. Rosenberg has it compiled, and I'll make sure you have everything you'll need."

You know, short of a live human sacrifice. Or a dozen black cats. If that's a no for the hedge witch, it's a no for Willow.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"No offense," Willow says quietly, "But.. magical materials aren't just something you pick up at the grocery store. And I don't know, would you trust just anyone to go pick out your weapons for a fight?"

Willow knew Buffy would hard 'nope' that in a flash; she suspected May would, too.

"Some of it.." her voice drifts off, making it clear that some of the things were going to have to be hand picked. Perhaps not all, but most definitely some.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Hrm. There was always complications. "Could you list the stuff you'd need that didn't need to be hand picked. Trust me May's people can get it for you," Sam promises. "The rest we can track down ourselves."

Really from what he saw of SHIELD and their resources, they had pretty much everything he could think of when it came to ritual components. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if they had the Ark of the Covenant in the basement at this point.

"Either way, after breakfast we should be hitting the road."

Melinda May has posed:
May can only agree with Sam's assessment. "And for what needs to be hand-picked. I can have a selection picked for you to choose from, or arrange for you to have access to those resources directly." She knows at the very least the hedge witch with a taste for black cats is surprisingly close by, and from what she's usually doing on WAND's behalf, she's got LOTS of plant-type magic resources.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow tries not to look terribly unsure of all of this (and fails miserably), but nods regardless. "Some of it is generic enough," she agrees, already tallying that list. The rest.. well, that's a bridge they can cross later, and a possible hill to die on. Though until Willow knows what she needs (and that in and of itself is going to be a process of discover), she doesn't need to cause a fuss now.

She's saved from having to say more by the arrival of breakfast.