CHAPTER 22

The next night, Bobby was startled awakened by Castiel. He had gone home to sleep at Lily's insistence. She had informed him that the nurses would take care of her for the night and he needed rest.

Castiel was looking ill at ease. "I need to take you to Lily."

Bobby was instantly alert. "What's wrong?" He got up and started putting on clothes.

Castiel didn't say anything. He just put his hand on Bobby and instantly they were in Lily's room. Then Castiel left again. Bobby approached the bed Lily was lying in. He was immediately worried when he saw that she was crying. He put his hand on her shoulder and she rolled over to look at him. Instead of slowing down, she started to sob. Bobby just pulled her into his arms and held her.

After a while, Lily's tears began to slow down. Bobby just continued to hold her, though. Finally, the words started.

"When I was growing up, I had two best friends: Bonnie and Tilda. Can you imagine, Bonnie, Lily and Tilda? We were called BLT from Kindergarten on. We didn't mind, it was wonderful! They were really the best friends a girl could ever hope to have. We were inseparable; until college. Bonnie went to University of Missouri at Columbia, I went to Missouri Western and Tilda didn't go to college. After four years away from each other, we were kind of distant. But when Tilda's mom died unexpectedly a few years later, we reconnected. Then Bonnie got married, then Tilda, and we kind of fell apart again. I had my job, Bonnie had twins almost immediately and Tilda got pregnant, too. We were all too busy! We would call once in a while, but life got in the way, you know?

Lily was talking low, but Bobby could hear her heartbreak. "As their kids were growing up, we would meet for lunch once in a while. It was okay, just not like it had been. And then, I met Mark. He was really great! He and I clicked fast, and we got married. I was a few weeks pregnant with Sam; I didn't know it, though. When I found out, the first people I told after family were Bonnie and Tilda. They were so fun and supportive. They threw my baby shower." Bobby winced at that; he hadn't thought about a baby shower.

"After Mark's and my family, they were my first visitors. Their kids were at least 8 years old by the time I had Sam, so they were thrilled to have a baby to hold again! We reconnected. This time we did it right. Holidays and barbeques and birthdays, we would get together.

"After the massacre… I knew they were gone, but it wasn't real to me. Not then, not really. So I missed them and my other work and church friends, but really, I had my boys, I didn't need friends. Besides, I was trying to function and there just wasn't any room for that in my life. Then I had you and the Winchesters and Castiel, I guess. I had friends again and a new family. So it still wasn't that bad…"

She paused for a moment. Bobby just held her and rubbed her back.

"And then tonight, I was walking in the hallway after you left. I guess a new baby was just born and there was a crowd outside the room. Everyone there was laughing and smiling and I could tell that some of them were the new mom's friends. I realized… right then… there aren't any old friends for me. Not the ones who remember the time I was skipping in a circle in class, wearing new saddle shoes and slipped and fell on my ass. Or the ones I called the minute after I had my first kiss with George Cormack. Or the one I helped home after she broke her wrist trying to do a trick with her bicycle. My old friends are gone." Lily began crying again.

Bobby held her until she fell into a light sleep. When he was sure that Lily wouldn't awaken, he went into the hall and made a phone call.

The next morning, Lily woke to see Bobby asleep on the couch across the room. She remembered everything that had happened last night and she was grateful he had stayed, even though she knew that couch was nine kinds of uncomfortable.

A little later, after breakfast, Lily was sitting up and holding Emily. She had once again convinced Bobby to go take a break. She knew he wouldn't be far, but she told him that she and Emily needed a little 'girl time'. As she sat there, cooing at her daughter and telling her about the silly, wonderful things men did… there was a knock on the door.

"Come in?" Lily thought it was a nurse. Instead a strange woman came in. She was about Lily's age, and she was wearing a sheriff's uniform.

"Hi, are you Lily?"

Lily nodded. She was worried that there was something wrong with her boys.

"My name is Jodie Mills; I'm a friend of Bobby's."

"Is there something wrong?"

"No! I'm sorry; I'm just going on duty. I'm a sheriff."

"Oh, ok." Lily nodded, she smiled.

"Bobby called to tell me that you and he have a new baby. Since I didn't know he was seeing anyone…" Jodie ran her hand over her hair.

Lily started to smile. "He called you?" She laughed, even though there were tears in her eyes; she held up Emily. "Here, this is Emily Claire." Lily knew full well who Jodie Mills was and her history; she recognized her name. She also knew what Bobby was trying to do and she was grateful. The two of them started talking and because of shared heartbreak, they found they had a lot in common. It wasn't the same, but it could be good.

The next day, the Winchesters and Lily's sons were back and Lily was released from the hospital. In the coming weeks, a routine was developed that everyone could live with; Sam and Dean Winchester included. But one development had Lily fuming; all of her men had started to call her precious daughter 'e-Claire'. She called Jodie to complain about it.

Sam and Chuck were still getting together one on one, but Dean had been doing better and didn't need to fight as much. He still talked to Chuck, but he was starting to talk to Lily more. She had gone back to counseling for help with the loss of her friends, so she knew some of the things Dean needed to hear. No one bothered to discuss the fact that going to a regular shrink would end with Dean and Sam in a mental hospital.

Sam still had anger issues, but he was beginning to realize that his life hadn't been destroyed and with Chuck's help he could restore it. He had vented enough rage that talking was starting to help. And once in a while, he would crack a joke – usually at Dean's expense.

THREE MONTHS AFTER EMILY'S BIRTH

Sarah had gotten home from work at about 10 o'clock that night. There were only two months until the auction and she and her staff had been finalizing the catalog. That was one big thing to check off her list. It would go to the printer in the morning and then sent out to an elite list of clients. Her father was a snob; she would have sent it out to way more people… maybe she would anyway.

As she entered the apartment she'd moved into only a few months before, she realized that she hadn't eaten any of the food that had been brought in. She was starving; she was also exhausted and she wanted a bath. As she entered her bedroom, she realized that exhaustion would come first. She kicked off her shoes and fell onto the bed. She was asleep an instant later.

Hours later, a light appeared at the end of her bed and she turned over to look at it. The light didn't hurt her eyes despite how dark the room was. Suddenly, the light was a man and the light seemed to be coming from him.

"Hello, Sarah." The man smiled at her.

"Is this a dream?" She asked.

"Yeah, but it's still real. I'm here to give you news."

Because of her encounter with Sam Winchester, she knew way more than the average person did of supernatural things. So even though she wasn't scared, she asked cautiously, "Should I be afraid of you?"

Chuck smiled, "No."

Sarah knew she should still have been scared, but she simply wasn't. "Okay, what is the news?"

"Sam Winchester is coming."

Sarah's heart started to pound, "Is he? And he needs someone to announce his arrival?"

The man smiled at her. He shook his head, "No, he doesn't need an announcement. He needs help. You have been chosen for him."

She looked at him with alarm. "Why does he need help? What happened? Is he hurt?"

The man held up his hands. "He is physically fine. He just needs the peace that only you can give him."

Sarah sat up on the bed, "What happened to him? Is this about Dean? In that last book, Dean went to hell. Did that really happen?"

Chuck nodded, "It really happened, but Dean was rescued four months later. It was everything before and especially after that has broken Sam."

"Broken?" Sarah was on the verge of tears. She did not want Sam to hurt. She felt a physical need to comfort him. She hadn't seen him for seven years, but she still wanted him to be happy.

"In time, Sam will tell you everything." He looked at her with a serious expression. "Telling you what has happened will help to heal him."

Sarah nodded. "What did you mean I was chosen for him?"

"You are a gift from God. He knows it; now you do, too."

Sarah knew she should have been surprised, but she wasn't. Her parents had been older when she was born. They, especially her mother, had called her their miracle baby.

"Are you saying I was born to be Sam's wife?" The man nodded. "Well, that's a little…"

"Do you think you can't handle it?" The man moved over to take her hand. "I know you have everything you need to help him."

As the man took her hand, she started to feel better and she smiled at him. "I can handle it."

She was starting to fall back into the sleep she was already in, but wanted to ask one more question. "When will he be here?"

"Two months." The man was gone, but his voice echoed back to her.

Unlike most of her dreams, in the morning, Sarah remembered this one.

AN: Well, you knew she was coming and alright, I admit it, it's cliché, but I always liked the character of Sarah Blake. She's in my favourite episode from Season One (aside from the Pilot). And to be perfectly honest, you could make a drinking game out of the number of clichés I already have in this story. Seriously – I've lost count. So what's one more? Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Sali.