Chapter 19

Cassie's first question after Sam had given her the list of names had been 'why he needed to find these people'. He had given her the same abridged version Amelia had given him at first. Reassured she wasn't doing anything illegal or something that would put others in harm's way; she had worked her computer like she was researching the story of her career.

While they waited on some their search results Sam supplied Cassie with bits and pieces of their lives over the last six years. The near apocalypse, without his being Lucifer's vessel or going to hell; Angels, especially since Cas had made quite a bit of news last year; and the Leviathans. She actually took the part about famous people being replaced by flesh-eating monsters pretty well. By the time he got to Dean killing Richard Roman, well the Leviathan posing as Roman, she was way past being shocked at anything he said.

After she had found most of the people on the list, Sam figured it was time to put it all out there for her. "Cassie, we're going to need to find someone in a unique condition." He knew he was scaring her with his tone of voice and the way he had said that. She gulped and then nodded. "We need at least one of these women to have had a baby, recently." He told her about the seven fluids then. He couldn't just ask her to find a nursing mother without some kind of explantion.

She stared at him. He didn't need Amelia's or Missouri's mind-reading abilities to hear the thoughts raging in her head. He could also see the moment she decided to help him. What he didn't know, if it was because she trusted him or still cared that much for Dean. He hoped it was both. "Sam, I'm not sure I can access county birth records all over the country." She looked at the home page for her paper, where her computer had defaulted to as a screen saver. "But, I'm pretty sure I can search local papers in those cities for birth announcements. It will take awhile. Some of these cities will have more than one local paper." By the time she had finished talking to him she was already typing.

While she was looking for the most difficult piece of their plan, he started downloading phone numbers and demographics into his phone. If he had learned anything from Bobby, it was to back-up all information. He now had over two dozen possibilities and their phone numbers and locations.

"So, what's the story on Amelia?" Cassie asked, while typing, after a few minutes. Amelia had left the office, saying she wanted to let them work, over an hour ago.

"Are you asking as a friend, or a reporter?" Sam was in way too deep not to trust her with his and Dean's lives; Amelia was a completely different story. "I'm sorry. That was un-called for." He replied to the hurt expression that crossed her face. "It's not my place, Cassie. Ask her, I'm sure she'll tell you."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and Amelia stepped back into the room. "My ears were burning." She said with a warm smile.

Sam grinned back at her. "Cassie was just wondering what your role was in the plan." He stated in mock formality.

Amelia saw what Sam had told her and then he added 'it's up to you'. The way he used her mind-reading when it was convenient for him struck her as a bit hypocritical; and she wasn't sure she was crazy about his new way of talking to her. But she also saw his complete trust of this woman. "Cassie, I have been brought forth from another dimension to help Sam retrieve Dean and Castiel, and complete the removal of the threat from the leviathans." Amelia stated very straight-forwardly. She glared at Sam as he started to ask if she was going to tell Cassie her true name.

"Uh…" Was all Cassie's brain could think of. Amelia could sense her struggling and she hated to add to her discomfort, but she had come back into the office for a reason.

"Sam, someone recognized you when we drove through town. He is trying to find the van and you." She knew Cassie had immediately picked up on the implied nature of what she had said, and her mind was filled with new questions. Amelia turned to Cassie, and answered her questions before she could ask them. "I'm very sensitive to the emotions, and thoughts, of others."

"You….you can…you can read….." Cassie had started to stutter out when Sam interrupted her.

"Crap. Did you hear anything else?"

"A little bit. He was so angry his thoughts weren't clear, something about Oklahoma and someone named Steve. He's planning violence if he can find you." Amelia sensed his fear, not for himself but for Cassie and the newspaper staff if he was found here.

"Cassie, we need to go." When she looked at him with a dazed expression, he added, "We've, well I, have made enemies over the years. I can't risk you or your staff getting hurt because you get caught up in one of my messes." He was already packing up the information they had collected. He stopped to write down his cell number and e-mail address. "You've got the list, keep looking."

"Wait. What about me; I want to help save Dean?"

"Cassie, keep looking for those last few names, and our young mother. Contact me in a day or two day to give me anything else you can find and I'll tell you when and where to come." A lifetime of always looking for exits upon entering a room, in case a quick escape would be needed, proved to be a valuable habit, again. He was pushing Amelia towards the back door of Cassie's office less than two minutes after the goddess's announcement.

Sam had Amelia feel ahead of their route, like emotional sonar to avoid….., he figured it had to be Tim because he had heard Reggie had been killed, until they made their way back to the interstate. They were back on I-55 headed north in less than 10 minutes. He knew from the look on her face he would pay dearly for the sonar thing, but he didn't care. They avoided a potentially dangerous situation, no one got hurt and even knowing she would get him back, it was still kind of funny.

She debated how to punish him for comparing her to a sonar detector. The expression 'best served cold' ran through her mind. But since he didn't seem bothered by her mind-reading when it was helpful; she decided to let Sam's memories help her. She remembered seeing some of the pranks Sam and Dean had played on each other over the years. "Sam. What does 'Nair in your shampoo' mean?"

After swerving slightly at the surprise of her payback and giving her a glare that even he would call a bitch-face, they both laughed until their eyes watered.