Chapter 48
They had called Evan from the outskirts of town, to arrange a meeting. Evan's wife was volunteering at their church this evening, and told Sam he could come to the house. As always, Amelia had listened in on the call and had determined it was indeed, Evan. They still had the empty Thermos bottles in the SUV and stopped to pick-up a small cooler on their way through town.
"Sam." Evan said as he opened his front door. He had the look everybody had when meeting a Hunter again, trepidation; Evan's expression also included some residual guilt. But, despite the look on his face, Sam noticed that Evan actually looked better, healthier than he had six years ago. As he stuck his hand out to half of the pair of brothers that had saved his life all those years ago, Evan looked around, behind Sam. "Where's Dean?"
Sam took Evan's hand; and as they shook hands he turned to look at Amelia. After seeing her nod her head, he turned back to the Mississipian. "Evan, this is Amelia. We need your help in finding Dean."
"Finding?" Evan asked, obviously perplexed. But, then, he looked at Amelia. "Where are my manners? A Southern man does not leave guests standing at the door." He stepped aside to let the couple into his home. "Please, come in."
It suddenly occurred to Sam that Evan was different than the others they had asked to help save Dean. Sure, he and his brother had saved his life, and soul. However, all the others had had evil thrust upon them, whether ghosts, wendigos or zombies; but Evan had brought the evil on himself. But, Amelia had given him the sign that Apsu approved Evan, 'didn't he'? He hoped Amelia was reading his mind, as he asked the question.
As Amelia smiled and nodded again, another reservation popped into his head. With all the others, he and Dean had spent some time with them; they had a chance to know Dean. Evan hadn't spent much time with his brother. Sam had been the one to protect Evan, while Dean had dealt with the crossroads demon. Just because Apsu and Amelia approved of Evan for the ritual, it didn't mean he would agree.
"Evan, Dean is in trouble, and we need to ask for your help to free him." Amelia offered; as much to reassure Sam as to start the conversation.
Without a second of hesitation Evan replied. "Whatever you need."
Sam wondered if he'd ever stop being amazed at these people's responses, or at Amelia's ability to know the exact thing to say to dispel his doubts.
X
It had taken them a little longer to bring Evan up to speed than most of the others. Sure, he had come face to face with pure evil when the Hellhounds arrived to drag him to the pit; but he hadn't really seen how the Winchesters worked a case. All he'd seen Sam do was spread some weird dirt on the floor. Dean had been the one to use Devils traps to force the demon to break his deal.
Sam had let Amelia do most of the explaining. He knew Apsu required the supernatural equivalent of fair, if not full, disclosure to make his donation acceptable. She could tell Evan enough to meet Apsu's requirements without telling him everything that had happened in the last six years.
Waiting while Evan had taken his purifying shower had been just as awkward as it had been with the Barrs. And Evan had had to drink several glasses of water before he could make himself urinate; which only made the waiting during the shower seem a whole lot less weird, in comparison.
They had sealed his donation in the Thermos and Amelia had placed it in the cooler, with a protection spell. As they were heading to the door to leave, Sam commented on how great Evan looked. He had replied that it turned out living a good life, thinking and giving to others, really was good for the body and soul.
Sam caught a glance of his own face in the foyer mirror and thought about what Evan had just said. He had spent most of his life putting others, often total strangers, before himself. But he had also broken more laws than he could count, and, of course, there was that whole demon-blood drinking and starting the apocalypse thing. He didn't think he looked too bad for a thirty year old who had seen and done so much; but he felt a million years old.
He felt Amelia lightly touch his arm, and turned to look at the woman helping him save Dean. All those negative feelings and self-doubts disappeared as he watched her smile up at him. They said their good-byes, thanked Evan and climbed into the car. As Sam started the Tahoe, it occurred to him that Amelia was going to save Dean, but she had already saved his sorry ass.
As Sam put the car in reverse to back down the driveway, Amelia leaned over and kissed his cheek. "We're saving each other." She whispered before pulling away. "And I rather like your ass." She added while giving him a very lascivious eyebrow wiggle.
X
The sun was getting low in the west by the time they got back on the I-55 headed north. They had decided to check-in with Cassie in Cape Girardeau, on the way to Lawrence. It was a minimum of four hours hard driving up the interstate. Sam had made that kind of journey a thousand times. But they really hadn't gotten much sleep last night, and it would be difficult. It also meant they'd get into Cape Girardeau late, well after midnight; too late to just show up at Cassie's.
Neither of them wanted to stop for the night in Memphis again. Memphis would always be a magical place for them, and they didn't want to risk anything touching those memories. Sam was reluctant to spend the night in a motel in the Missouri town. He had no idea if Tim, the hunter that had spotted them there last week, lived there or had just been passing through, like them.
"Why don't you call Cassie, see if she's heard anything about Tim being in town?" Amelia suggested.
"Smart and pretty." Sam replied as he grinned at her. He dug out his cell phone and handed it to Amelia. "Why don't you call her while I drive, save you having to listen in?"
Amelia stared at the little electronic device. She had talked on the thing a few times, but she had never actually made a call. Last time she had made a phone call, it had a handset, a wire and a rotary dial. Sam glanced at Amelia, and saw her staring at his phone like it was phaser, no, more like a tricorder.
"I know what Star Trek was and I know this is neither of those things. Just tell me how to dial the damn thing!"
Sam had quickly stopped teasing her after she had given him a glare that was much closer to an evil eye stare. He told Amelia how to find Cassie's number and make the call. While she had been a little surprised to hear Amelia's voice on the phone when she answered; it turned out Cassie knew just where they could stay.
The two women talked for a while before Amelia announced to Sam, as she ended the call, "We're going to spend the night at Cassie's house."
X
For some reason Sam was wary of spending the night in Cassie's family home. He didn't know if it was because Cassie was Dean's ex-girlfriend or that staying there automatically put the young woman in some danger. The Winchesters had a unique way of attracting trouble; the last trip through Cape Girardeau had proved that. Of course, there was that other thing. He and Amelia had promised they would talk about his trip into see Apsu. And, if he was really honest with himself, he was hoping to do more than just talk to Amelia when they went to bed tonight. And while he wasn't as sexually repressed as Dean teased him about; having sex in someone's home kind of weirded him out.
Sam turned to look at Amelia, assuming she had just heard all that he had been thinking; but she didn't acknowledge that she had heard his thoughts. In fact she was staring blankly out the windshield, not seeming to be aware of anything.
"Amelia? Are you okay?"
She blinked a couple times, and then turned to Sam. "Yes. Sorry." Amelia could see the worry on his face and now sensed all he had been thinking. She smiled when she saw his expectations for them tonight. She had very similar plans. "It's a big house, and her mom isn't there; we'll be fine." She answered wistfully to his unspoken concern.
He was glad the arrangements at Cassie's wouldn't change their plans for the night; but he could tell what she had just shared had nothing to do with what she had just been thinking. He also didn't need to be a mind-reader to know whatever she had been thinking about made her sad. Sam wished he could comfort her as easily as she had eased his worries back at Evan's. He reached across the car, took her hand, brought it up to his lips and kissed her fingers.
He knew he didn't have to say anything, she'd know what he was thinking, but he said it anyway. "You can tell me anything." He kissed her hand again, and added. "When you're ready, I'm here for you."
Amelia fought back the tears she felt forming; and hoped he was right.
