"Hey Dean, look at this." Sam thrust a newspaper into Dean's line of sight. The older Winchester leaned back in his chair so that he could see the entire paper instead of just the small portion that ended up in his vision when Sam tried to put the newspaper between Dean and his laptop.

"Two Weeks Before Valentine's Day, Newford Has Gone Love-Crazy." Dean read the headline out-loud. He looked up at Sam, draping his arm over the back of the chair as he turned to face his brother.

"So? Lots of people hook up around Valentine's Day."

Sam scoffed, pointing to part of the article itself. "Priest seduces nun. Elderly man hits on his nanny. 14 year-old girl tries to get her history teacher to make out with her in a storage closet. This isn't normal Valentine's Day activity, Dean. It sounds like something is up." He eyed Dean, waiting to see if he would agree with him.

"What do you think? Magic? Fairies?" A pause, "Cupids Gone Wild?" Dean chuckled at his own joke. Sam ignored him, shaking his head in disagreement as he took a step back to lean against the TV stand, crossing his arms in the process.

"I have no idea. I can't imagine someone intentionally doing his. I mean, what would be the point?"

"Ah come on Sammy," Dean grinned suggestively, his eyebrows waggling. "Maybe someone just wants an entire town to loosen up. Ya know, have a little fun."

Sam groaned at his brother's antics, standing back up and moving to the back of the motel room to pack up. Dean chuckled at Sam's predictable reaction and turned back to his laptop to shut it down.
__________________________________________________________________

Dean slowed the Impala as they entered Newford, Nebraska. He eyed the town with distain. There probably wasn't a single building built in the last century, the town had one main road, and everyone looked as though they were extras for a film set in the 50's.

"What is with this place?" He glanced at the map Sam was studying. "Come on, it's not even on the map!"

"Small town charm, I guess. Hey look," Sam pointed across Dean at a small building on the other side of the main street. "They have a dedicated pie shop. Maybe this is your kind of place after all." He gave Dean a teasingly mocking smile.

"Yeah, well... this place still gives me the creeps." Dean continued to eye the town with distain as they advanced down the main street.
__________________________________________________________________

Newford had exactly one inn, but since the town wasn't exactly a tourist attraction the boys had no trouble getting a room. Dean followed after Sam, slowing to a halt as he took in the room they would be in.

"You've got to be kidding me..." From the bedding to the lamps, everything was done in pastel tones, faded flowers dotting the yellow wallpaper. Dean threw his bag down onto the bed closest the door, using with more force than necessary, and finally looked away from the rest of the room long enough to notice the carpet. He looked up at Sam with a pained expression.

"Dude. Pink?!" He shook his head, turning away and dropping his other bag onto the bed. "This is just wrong... there's not even a TV!" He gestured towards the wall opposite the beds to emphasize his point.

Sam was laughing at his displeasure as he unpacked his own bags on the other bed.
"I'm going to go get me some of that pie. Take my mind off of this... room." Dean grimaced as he looked around their temporary residence again before heading out the door.
__________________________________________________________________

A bell above the door chimed as Dean entered the pie shop. Delicious scents greeted him long before the chipper young blonde behind the counter did.

"Good afternoon! Can I interest you in our Pie of the Day?" She bounced slightly as she talked. Dean knew she was someone who would get annoying after a while, but as he looked her over he figured it might be worth it anyway. He leaned on the counter, grinning slyly at the woman. She blushed as Dean moved up far closer than was necessary.

"I'd love your Pie of the Day." He said suggestively. The woman sputtered and blushed deeper. Dean stood up straight again, giving the poor girl a break. "What flavour is it?" He winked, still flirting.

"A...apple." She stuttered.

"Mm. That sounds good to me." He grinned shamelessly at the woman again. He had flustered her so much that she was barely able to box up his pie without dropping it, and she did manage to drop some of Dean's money as he handed it to her. He might come back later, but Sammy'd nag him if he didn't get back to the inn soon. He had no trouble getting her number, however.
__________________________________________________________________

Sam looked up from his laptop as Dean re-entered their room. In one hand he held up a decorative cardboard box, the smell of pie wafting from it, and a small strip of paper with a hastily scrawled number in the other hand, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Hey, come here." Sam called, choosing to ignore both the pie and the fact that he would probably be sleeping in the Impala tonight.

Dean put the pie box on the small table near the window, pocketing the piece of paper as he sat on the end of the bed next to Sam. Sam tilted the laptop so Dean could see it.

"I was looking into the town. While Newford isn't on anything but local obscure maps, and usually lives a fairly independent existence, two recent events have put the town into local papers."

Dean nudged Sam. "Everyone acting like love-sick puppies is one, right?" He grinned enthusiastically. His smile faded away as Sam ignored his antics. Dean cleared his throat and licked his lips, brows furrowing as he re-focused on the laptop screen.

"Before the recent influx of romance, Newford ended up in the papers a few months back when they had an abnormally large apple harvest. Charles Smith, who owns all of the apple orchards here, or owned, seeing as he died a few weeks ago, said 'they got lucky'. And—" Sam held up a hand to stop Dean from talking. "Don't say it." Dean frowned at him.

"What? I wasn't going to say anything." He played innocent, grinning to himself over what would have been an awesome line.
__________________________________________________________________

The sun had long since set and the boys finally made it back to their room after having questioned everyone they could connect to the odd romances, and then some. No one they talked to could agree on what was going on and they heard everything from demon possession to something in the water. Sam dropped on to his bed, sighing in frustration.

"I have no idea what's going on here, Dean. Half the town doesn't even think anything is going on."

Dean mumbled an unintelligible response, only half listening. The apple pie sitting on the table was calling his name, and there was no way he was going to bed without responding to its beckon. Sam turned to face him to see what was taking up all of his attention.

"Alright, you have your moment with your pie. I'm beat, I'm going to bed." Sam was tired, and he was hoping if he could get to bed quick enough Dean might not kick him out to have a quick romp with whichever girl he decided was flirty enough when they went around earlier. Dean mumbled his acknowledgement, leaving Sam to roll over and attempt to bury his head under his pillow as Dean made appreciative noises towards his pie.
__________________________________________________________________

Dean was still asleep when Sam woke up, the pie box sitting empty on the table, so he hopped into the shower thinking Dean would be awake when he got out. If he wasn't, Sam could just flick water at him until he did wake up. He grinned as he turned off the shower, secretly hoping Dean was still asleep so he could enact some small form of revenge for all the noise Dean made last night eating that damn pie of his.

He exited the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist as he used another to pat down his hair. He was disappointed to find Dean stirring, the older Winchester cracking open a single eye as Sam moved across the room. Dean mumbled something incoherent, his gaze lingering on Sam for a moment before he rolled out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom, the door failing to be shut entirely. Sam headed over to his laptop as the shower turned on.

A local news heading caught his attention just as Dean was exiting the bathroom.

"Check this out." Sam leaned back from his laptop so Dean could read the screen, but Dean hadn't made any attempt to walk over.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?"

Sam looked down at himself, still draped in just a towel. He looked back at Dean, shrugging. "I was reading the news. Are you going to come read this or not?"

"Unlike someone, I'm getting ready. Just read it out-loud." Dean pilfered through his clothes, trying to find the articles of clothing he needed. Sam sighed.

"Alright. So, there have been some strange deaths in town. Charles Smith, the guy who owned the apple orchards? He died about a week after the big harvest." Sam looked at Dean pointedly, but his brother was still digging through his clothes. This is why Sam always put his up when they were staying in a town; he could always find what he needed.

"Mr. Smith choked to death. On an apple."

"So? Lots of people choke on food. That a guy who grew apples for a living choked on one just seems inevitable." Dean looked up, facing the wall. "Maybe poetic." He shrugged, focusing on his clothes again.

"Yeah, fine, but then there was another death, discovered last night. One of the people involved in the recent romance spree... seems to be the first, actually. Guess how he died?"

"Too much lovin'? Heh, not a bad way to go out, if I do say so myself." Dean waggled his eyebrows.

"Not exactly. His heart exploded. His heart, Dean."

Dean finally looked at Sam finally, brows furrowed together. "What, like a heart-attack?"
Sam shook his head. "No, like pulverized." Sam made an explosion motion with his hands to emphasize. After a moment, Dean shrugged, turning back to his clothes.

"Alright, so that is weird. But what does that have to do with mister should-have-chewed-better?"

"The guy who died last night? He is, or was, Charles Smith's son. They ran the orchards together."

Dean looked up again, having finally found the one button-up shirt he owned. "Someone out to get the family? Shut down the orchard maybe?"

"Don't know, but there's still one more surviving member of the family. The late Charles Smith's wife."

Dean nodded at Sam, heading off into the bathroom to put on his clothes. "Well let's go talk to the old gal then." He paused, partially inside the bathroom. "And Sammy? Get dressed."