Chapter 30

They had a date, July 12th. Sam was filled with conflicting thoughts. He was sure they would be able to find, collect and safely store the fluids over the less than two weeks they had. But waiting another two weeks until he could get Dean out Purgatory was going to interminable. Something else was nagging at him. Why had Amelia/Tiamat prevented Apsu from telling him which fluid he was going to give? He was sure of the others, Jody and Cassie, when he had met them. Sam had been with him since he was awoken.

And they still didn't know who to ask to be the seventh person. But, today, they had a young mother to go talk to. Sam called the number he hoped was Haley's.

"Hello?" A female voice that Sam recognized, answered the phone. Amelia, who had been listening in as usual, nodded her head and stepped away from Sam.

"Haley? Haley Collins, from Colorado?" Sam said, as an opening.

"Well, it's Parks now; but yeah. Who's this?" Sam could hear a dog bark suddenly and then a baby start to laugh somewhere nearby.

Knowing she wouldn't drop the baby, if hearing his name stunned her, he said. "It's Sam Winchester.' He paused, when she didn't say anything, he added. "From Blackwater Ridge." He stopped, knowing she would need a second to grasp what she heard.

"Sam? As in Sam and Dean? As in Wendigo killing, brother saving Sam and Dean Winchester?" She said with a distracted chuckle; then added seriously. "Sam and Dean, as in went on a killing spree and were killed in a shoot-out last year, Sam and Dean?"

He wasn't expecting that response. "Uhhhh. That wasn't us, you know that right?"

"Well, I sure hoped it wasn't you."

"It's pretty hard to explain; but it was a couple of guys that looked like us. Haley, we need to ask a favor."

"I'm not sure I'd be much help in a monster hunt right now; I just had a baby." She responded, almost laughing this time.

"Haley, are you okay?" He really wasn't used to this kind of response. Sam wondered if his call had really thrown her for a loop, because of the way she was talking.

She was outright laughing now, and it took her a while to respond. "Yeah. Sorry; it's not you. The dog's licking the baby's toes; Deanna just loves it when he does that."

Sam looked up at Amelia, stunned, before he responded. "Your daughter's name is Deanna?"

"Yeah." She paused before continuing in a more serious tone. "Sam, whatever you need; Ben, Tom and I are there."

He didn't know why he was still surprised by this reaction. It was like they wanted him to call; like they wanted to repay him and Dean for saving them. And it appeared at least one had named her baby for Dean. He looked at Amelia again; she just looked at him with a 'we told you so' expression on her face. "Haley, I'm here in Bowling Green. Can I come by and see you?"

"You tracked me here?" Now there was an edge of concern in her voice. "Is everything alright?" Before he could answer, she started muttering to herself. "No, of course not, Haley. He wouldn't be here if everything was okay. SAMMY, stop that." She yelled away from the phone. "Sorry, the dog was trying to lick the baby's face."

"Your dog's name is Sammy?" Sam was able to croak out.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. He just kind of looked like you." She paused; then added kind of apologetically. "If it helps; we had the dog before the baby?"

Now he was laughing. He thought he had heard and seen everything. Dean would never let him live this down when he got back. When he could talk again, "So, can I come by and talk to you?"

"I was going to go run some errands. Can I meet you somewhere?"

"Well, it would be better for us if we met someplace more private."

She remembered the news stories about the killing spree, supposedly by Dean and Sam, from last year. She had known it had to be a mistake, and when it was reported they were dead, she hoped that wasn't true either. But, it explained why he wanted to meet in private. "Sure. You know how to get here?"

"I'm pretty good at finding places." Then he couldn't resist. "Must be the bloodhound in me." They both had a good laugh. "We can be there in 40 minutes."

"Okay. Tell Dean I've got some M & Ms in the cupboard." She added still chuckling.

All humor gone; Sam responded. "Haley, Dean's not with me; that's why I need your help."

"You said we, I just assumed." She was also now serious. "Who's with you?"

"Someone helping me get him back. You okay with me bringing them along?"

"Sure. See you soon."

"Haley. One more thing, well two. Does your husband know what happened at Blackwater?"

"No! And I'd like to keep it that way."

"No problem. I'll assume he isn't there this morning?"

"He's at work." She paused. "You said two more things?"

"Where can I pick up a Thermos bottle in the area?"

X

Sam and Amelia had made it to Haley's home, after a quick stop at a sporting goods store to pick up seven Thermos bottles, in just under an hour. Haley had answered the door with her baby in her arms. Amelia's immediate beaming smile made him hurriedly clear his throat to get her attention; he shook his head at her because he didn't want her to start glowing. But he also assumed it meant Haley was acceptable, at least to the goddess.

Haley just stared at the oddly smiling young woman, the young woman whose image had been all over the news last night, standing next to Sam. "Sam." She looked back at Amelia. "Who's your friend?"

"Haley, this is Amelia. She's helping me get Dean back." He watched as Amelia took a small step forward extending her hand.

"Hello, Haley. It's a pleasure to meet you. Sam has told me nice things about you and your brothers." She withdrew her hand when she realized Haley's hands were full with the baby and holding the dog back. "May we come in?"

"Oh, excuse me. Where are my manners?" She said somewhat flustered; she hadn't been expecting to see the mysterious and wanted 'Amelia'. She didn't know if it was because she trusted Sam, or that Amelia came off as the least dangerous person she's ever met; but she had no qualms letting her in her home. "Come on in." She stepped aside to let them enter.

Sam stepped back to let Amelia enter first. As she passed Haley, she turned and nodded her head at him. That's when Sam noticed the warmth and vibration on his chest, from where the amulet laid on his shirt. They made their way into the family room/kitchen area, and Haley indicated they should sit.

"May I?" Amelia asked Haley before sitting; holding her arms toward the baby.

Haley looked at Sam for confirmation it would be safe to let this strange woman hold her daughter. He nodded his head and smiled back at Haley. After Haley had handed the baby to Amelia, she sat down on the sofa next to Haley. The baby immediately started making happy, cooing noises.

"She's usually not this good with strangers." Haley said while watching in amazement.

Sam 'asked' Amelia in his thoughts, if he should tell her. She just smiled at the baby and nodded her head slightly. "Haley." Sam said to get her attention. "I'd like you to meet Mother Nature." He said just as Amelia started lightly glowing.

X

Haley had been looking at Sam while he was talking; she turned to look at the 'woman' holding her baby girl to see her beaming with joy, and glowing! She felt her heart rate jump just before Amelia reached out and touched her arm. Haley immediately relaxed, sensing Amelia was no threat to her child or herself.

"She's beautiful, Haley. Thank You." Amelia smiled at the young mother; she touched the baby's rosy cheeks and handed her back to her mother. Haley took back her baby in stunned silence. "We're sorry to be so abrupt with my introduction, but it we've found there is no easy way to say it." Haley just nodded.

"Haley." Sam spoke and Haley snapped out of shock. "We need your help." He paused and she just looked at him. "You want the long version or just what we need you to do?"

X

"You want what?" Haley replied after a brief, stunned silence. She had chosen the second option. "I guess you better tell me the long version now."

Sam told her the same bare-boned story of his and Dean's lives he had told Cassie, up to the killing of Dick Roman and Dean's being trapped in Purgatory. When he got to Amelia's return from the void and her part in the ritual to get Dean back, Amelia joined him in explaining why the breast milk was needed. They stopped at that point, to let it all sink in; and decide if she would help.

Haley looked back and forth between Sam and Amelia several times. "Are you really Mother Nature?" Was the only thing she asked. Amelia smiled and nodded. "Don't you get lonely, in that other dimension, waiting to come back to Earth?"

Amelia's smile faded, she hadn't wanted to talk about that with Sam, and certainly didn't want to with this young mother. She looked at Sam, and saw the look on his face. He had put it all together; her strange behaviors and mood changes. She wasn't any fonder of pity than she was of the other emotions she had been feeling in the last day. "No, not really." She lied.

"So, how do we do this?" Haley asked Sam.