The sun was high in the sky when Collene entered River's room. No, it's Rowena's room. River reminded herself as the barkeeper sat beside her on the bed. River was curled up under the sheet.
"Rowena, sweetie, the sheriff called on you. I wouldn't let him come upstairs. Jeans keeping him at the door."
"I don't wanna see him." River muttered, though she could hardly explain why. Sam had his questions about River, about if she was even human. What else could I be? How dare he!
"Rowena, do you love the sheriff?"
"What?" River jerked her head up. Collene exhaled and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"If you're serious about the sheriff, you need to remind him."
"But he has Scarlet." River muttered. Walker was right. She was a bit jealous.
"Scarlet is with Doctor Walker for her check up." Collene stated. "Now is the best time to talk to him."

Now River sat across a desk from Sam and neither of them had said anything.
"Last night I got drunk..." Sam began.
"And you questioned what I was. You thought it loud and clear." River whispered.
"I was drunk. The frail looking girl I've known freaked out and pushed Scarlet into a table a good three yards away. I didn't know what to think.
"I'm human. Telepathic. But human."
"How? You're different but I don't know how you got that way." Sam stated. "You probably know about Azazel's drops of demon blood..."
"And how you drank Ruby's blood for power."

River hadn't meant to be so cold toward him. She was just angry at him. Sam's face fell as he looked down.
"I just wanted to know about you. More about how you got the way you are..."
"The Academy." River whispered. Sam looked up.
"Oh?"
"I'm kind of a genius." River began, "And I excelled at everything. I graduated numerous college programs by the time I was fourteen." A smile played upon her lips. "I loved dancing the best." The smile vanished. "My parents didn't know what to do with me. Then I found out about the academy. It had an amazing program listed...but when I got there the reality was horrible." Images of needles flashed through River's mind as she continued. "They experimented on us. They poked, prodded, and conditioned us. I was special. So they removed my frontal lobe. For months I could hear everything. What people said or thought, the residuals left on pieces of art by their creator. I couldn't shut it off. I heard a big secret...and I didn't even know. It bounced around in my brain for months before showing itself. That's why I am the way I am. I was conditioned to be a Swiss army knife."
"I'm sorry."
"You didn't do it."
"For thinking of you as other then human."
River became acutely aware that they'd moved closer as Sam placed his hand on hers. His mind was clear-he regretted thinking it, leaving her alone this whole time, and making her sad. River used the hand he was touching to lift his chin, not wanting to break the contact.
"Apology accepted."

Sam hugged her then, catching her a bit off guard. But River liked the feel of it so she returned the hug.
"Why are you going through all this for me?" Sam whispered.
"Something about Tag." River replied, recalling Missouri's words that felt like a lifetime ago.
"Eh?"
"Nevermind. It's just once I knew about it I couldn't not come."

Sam smiled lightly as he let go of River.
"Why couldn't I have met you before all this?"
"You had a girlfriend."

River realized after she said it he might react badly. It was a big deal, afterall. She opened her mouth to apologize.

Then Sam kissed her.