Chapter 61

It was almost four in the morning when they pulled into Missouri's driveway. Sam had called her from the car, just before they got back on the I-35 for the last hundred miles of their trip. After she had chewed his ass out about 'worrying her to death' because they were so late, she had let Sam explain about finding the spring and performing his ritual bath. He left out pretty much everything else that had happened. He figured she already knew most of it, and he sure as hell wasn't going to describe his and Amelia's love-making. Nor did he tell her how awkward it had been to actually get his semen collected during an act of love into a Thermos jar.

He was also pretty sure she didn't want to know about the two extra times, after the fluids had been safely stored in the Thermos, that they had made love. And even if she had wanted to hear about, there were no words adequate to describe those hours. Even in his own mind, he couldn't put words to what had happened. He had heard Dean use the expression mind-blowing sex, but that was a completely inadequate description of the passion they had found with each other. The Eastern concept of Nirvana, the state of complete spiritual happiness, in which human existence no longer seems important, came close but only close. They had both been so exhausted afterwards they had slept, naked and wrapped around each other like they were a single entity, for a couple of hours.

Missouri watched them as they unloaded the cooler, now loaded with all seven precious fluids, and the rest of their gear. She saw that the goddess had finally told him everything, and the older woman was surprised at how easily Sam had accepted everything; in fact he seemed more comfortable with himself, his past and the future than she had ever seen him. The psychic gasped when their hands brushed together while reaching to grab the same duffel, the energy that brief touch generated, had her flushing from the passion that these two had for each other.

Both Sam and Amelia were so exhausted they could hardly walk, but she could see they were also dehydrated and hungry. She made both of them sit down and eat something and drink plenty of water, before she'd let them fall into bed. It was less than 24 hours until they would be performing the ritual to crack open Purgatory and get Dean back. They would need more than just the emotional strength they gave each other. Performing something as powerful as they were planning would need physical strength, too.

The sun was sending its earliest hints of light over the eastern horizon as they reached their bedroom door. Missouri sensed the protection spell Amelia put over the house before she closed the door behind them. She sighed in relief when she felt them both fall asleep the second their heads hit the pillows. It was only a few hours before the others would start to return to help make sure everything was ready for tomorrow.

X

Jody was the first to arrive, shortly after 10 AM. She and Missouri were still talking on the front porch when a young woman stopped her car and got out. "Excuse me, are you Missouri Mosley?" The beautiful woman called over the roof of her car as soon as she was standing.

"I am." The psychic knew who she was instantly. "Come on in, Cassie." Missouri turned to Jody. "She's an old friend of Dean's; and one of the seven."

Cassie was only slightly surprised to be called by name. She had done her research and knew Missouri Mosley was supposed to be a powerful psychic. Believing in psychic abilities had once seemed absurd to the seasoned reporter. But then, Dean and his brother had saved her and her mother from a ghost truck. If she could accept that and all the supernatural phenomena she had researched in the last few years, psychic abilities seemed a natural extension.

Jody stepped off the porch and met Cassie half-way up the walk. "Hi, I'm Sheriff Jody Mills, of Sioux Falls. Welcome aboard."

The two younger women headed back to the porch and Missouri. "Cassie, honey; you're even prettier than I pictured you."

"Thank you. I feel like I know the both of you; Sam spoke so fondly of you. Where are Sam and Amelia?" Ever the reporter, Cassie got straight to it.

"They didn't get back until four this morning. I'm trying to let them get a little more sleep." Missouri replied.

"We're good." Sam said sleepily as he opened the screen door and joined the women on the porch. He enveloped first Jody and then Cassie in a hug. "It's great to see both of you. Run into any problems?"

As Missouri led them all back into the house, Jody answered Sam. "I don't know if this has anything to do with this, but I got a call from Garth late yesterday. Seems about noon, three hunters ran into something that knocked them out cold, but didn't hurt them. Except; none of them could remember anything; not even why they were there."

"Please tell me they still had the mother-of-all-headaches?" Amelia asked as she walked into the hallway. Sam groaned and turned into the kitchen. "What! I still think it was funny."

Sam told them what had happened while Amelia took the first shower. Garth arrived while Sam was in the shower; which was probably a very good thing. Amelia calmly told Garth what the three hunters had tried to do. So, when Sam walked back into the kitchen and saw Garth, he was prepared for Sam's anger. Charlie had the extraordinarily bad timing to arrive while Sam was reading Garth the riot act; and he included her in his outburst.

'SAM. That's enough!' Amelia telepathically shouted into his mind. 'It was an honest mistake, and neither of us got hurt.'

Sam stopped yelling, took a deep breath before apologizing. "Garth, Charlie, I'm sorry. I know you couldn't have known they would come after us. But, you've got to remember there are still a few Hunters out there that really, really don't like the Winchesters, and hold me responsible for starting the apocalypse. Maybe, you should use a little more discretion on who you tell our plans."

Garth waited a second to make sure Sam had finished. "Sam, I swear, we didn't tell those guys anything; someone else must have told them."

The tension in the room was palpable, until Garth smiled and crooned. "Hello there. And who is this pretty little lady?" Everyone had been so preoccupied with the incident from yesterday; no one had introduced Cassie to the newer arrivals. Everybody either groaned or rolled their eyes at Garth's attempt to flirt with the young woman, Charlie did both.

"Garth, Charlie, this is Cassie Robinson. She's an old friend of ours. She's also one of the fluid donors." Sam introduced Cassie to the younger hunter and computer genius. He then looked around the room at the five people, and one goddess, gathered here, all willing to risk their lives, to help rescue Dean. "Listen, I shouldn't have bit your heads off. I hope everybody knows how much I appreciate what you're doing for Dean, and me."

"Its cool,man." Garth spoke first, still flashing his grin at Cassie.

Amelia and Sam hadn't eaten since last night, and she headed to the kitchen to whip up something. But since it was already almost noon, Missouri just set out the lunch she had prepared; and everybody gathered in the kitchen to eat. Sam watched the collection of diverse characters talk and share information like this was any other day.

Except, it wasn't just any other day. In less than 24 hours, he'd lead these people to Stull Cemetery; open a door to Purgatory and pull Dean and Cas out. He would introduce his brother to Amelia; and then he'd lose her forever. But, then he'd meet the girl carrying his child. He wondered again how his head hadn't exploded. How was he still functioning? And, why was he actually feeling fairly calm and confident about all that had, and was about to, happen? He looked at Amelia, wondering if she had slipped him some telepathic Valium.

Amelia looked at Sam, hearing his questions. She just smiled lovingly and shook her head. 'It is all you, my darling.'

X

By early-afternoon, Garth had heard from several hunters he had sent to scope out the cemetery. Other than a couple of tourists visiting 'the Most Haunted cemetery in North America', there had been no activity in the area. They had set out a few devil's traps and warding sigils anyway.

When the doorbell rang, Cassie volunteered to answer it. Missouri and Amelia had been sensing she was holding something back, and as she spoke they knew what she had been hiding. They also both knew Sam was not going to be happy about it. Amelia got up from the kitchen table they were all seated around, and stood behind Sam, resting her hands on his shoulders. Everybody could hear Cassie quietly talking to someone, and then heard Cassie head back to the room. Amelia wished she did have a telepathic sedative, or a really big bucket, because the shit was about to hit-the-fan.

Cassie stopped at the door to the kitchen. "Sam, when you were in my office, you left a copy of the list of people you and Dean had helped over the years." She cleared her throat nervously. "I know you only needed seven, but I contacted as many of them as I could find."

Amelia, who had already moved her hands from just resting on Sam's shoulders, to lightly gripping them, strengthened her grip. Cassie turned back to the hallway and motioned her hand. "Everyone, and I mean every single one of them, wanted to do whatever they could to help." And as she spoke Melanie Golden stepped into the kitchen.

"Hi, Sam." The young clairvoyant said, smiling and then looked around the room. "Wow. You've got a lot of friends."

Amelia now had to tap into her supernatural strength to keep Sam in his chair. 'Calm down. They're trying to help.' She reached into his thoughts, trying to keep him from exploding. Sam had wondered about Amelia moving to stand behind him, now he understood. She had seen this coming and was trying to protect him from himself. He didn't like to admit it, but he did have a temper.

But it wasn't just that; despite Amelia's absolute faith the ritual would be successful, he was nervous, maybe even scared. When had something this big ever gone off without a hitch for them? It was bad enough he was endangering Jody, a seasonal cop, and Garth a seasoned..., well he was a Hunter. He really didn't like civilians putting themselves at risk like this.

He didn't like being managed either. He took a deep breath and got control of his emotions. Amelia sensed it immediately and let go of his shoulders. "Hey Melanie." He got up and gave the pretty brunette a hug. "You shouldn't have come." And then he turned to Cassie. "You shouldn't have done this." He turned to the group as a whole. "Listen, I know you're all trying to help. And I appreciate it, I really do, and so will Dean. But, tonight could be dangerous." He stopped when he saw the expressions on Cassie, Missouri and Amelia's faces. "What?" He asked, just as the doorbell rang again.