Chapter 63

Nobody went looking for Sam or Amelia, they didn't need to. Mother Nature had forgotten; once she had made a connection with a mind, that mind was always going to be somewhat attuned to her emotions, especially very strong ones. Not everybody in the house knew what, or why, they were suddenly feeling….very, very happy. Missouri and Melanie got a lot more than just feelings, and the psychics had to excuse them themselves briefly. The rest of their core group figured it out very quickly, and struggled to try and explain it to the newest arrivals.

It wasn't as difficult as they had thought. After what they had all experienced in the backyard, when Amelia – who they all now knew was really Mother Nature – had entered their thoughts and shown them basically the history of the world, including Sam and Dean's involvement being a main reason they were all still in this world; and how tonight, they were all going to be part of making the world safer; and that she had shown them all of that in just a few seconds; well, explaining what they were all feeling seemed kind of 'normal'.

It was dusk by the time Sam and Amelia came in through the back door. Everybody had finished eating and several were dozing in various places around the house. Jody tried to 'mother hen' them; saying they needed to eat something and to lie down and rest before the ritual. Missouri gave them a quick scowl and then agreed with Jody. They both drank plenty of water, but Amelia informed their friends they couldn't eat this close to the ritual. Sam kissed the two women, thanked for everything they had done to help, but informed them 'he would sleep after he got Dean back'.

Sam went to the dining room and checked with Garth on the plans for tonight. He thought about it briefly, he had left all the logistics to Garth and the other hunters; not something he, or Dean, would normally have done. Had Garth really become that much better of a Hunter, or was he actually learning to accept and trust help when it was offered? He smiled. It was yet another way Amelia had changed him, and one more thing he'd have to explain to Dean.

After thanking them all for their efforts, Sam watched as Garth dispatched most of the hunter's to head out to the cemetery and establish an even tighter perimeter. Since Lee and Krissy Chambers had come out of their retirement from hunting, but could also be counted as people the Winchesters had helped; they were chosen to stay and organize getting everybody to the cemetery safely. And they would be part of Amelia's Purgatory-sealing ritual.

Amelia and Sam both took showers. It wasn't that they needed to be purified, again; but the goddess knew they should at least be clean, and not be covered in sweat. Sam looked down at the amulet as he was showering. "Tonight's the big night, Apsu. I hope you're ready for this." He felt the small vibration and smiled. "It's too bad you won't get to meet Dean after all the years you spent around his neck." Sam thought about all Dean had been through while wearing the necklace. And after the amulet vibrated a little more forcefully, added. "Yeah, maybe your right."

X

It was just before 11 PM when Sam placed the cooler back into the Tahoe. Missouri was the only other one left at the house, beside him and Amelia. All the others had taken off in a small caravan. Everybody was anxious, but no one was scared enough to back out; and they all had been asked one more time as they headed out Missouri's front door. It wasn't until he was alone in the garage; that it fully sank in where he was going tonight. Last time he was at Stull Cemetery he had taken control of his body from Lucifer just long enough to throw himself into the Pit.

They'd be using almost the exact spot where he had opened the door to Hell and Lucifer's cage. They'd use that path but detour it to Purgatory, instead. He glanced at his watch; in just over four hours he would have Dean and Castiel back. A few minutes later, Amelia would seal off all the portals to Purgatory forever.

He looked at the blanket, now neatly folded in the back of the SUV; thinking that it would be the last bed he and Amelia would probably share. No, that wasn't right. It would be the last time he was with Mother Nature! He hadn't even met Amelia, the real Amelia, yet. He didn't know which freaked him out more; returning to the place of the hardest thing he had ever done; or, within 24 hours, parting with her, and doing the hardest thing he still had to do.

Sam felt soft arms slip around his waist and his lover's face press against his back. They just stood there; neither having the strength to break the connection, or look into the other's face. By the time Missouri cleared her throat as she stood just outside the garage door; there was a pretty large wet spot on the back of Sam's shirt. As Amelia pulled away, Sam used his sleeve to wipe the tears from his face. "Crap. I may have to change my shirt again." He said as he turned around, smiling sadly. However, he actually laughed when he saw how Amelia's puffy, red eyes only made her more beautiful to him. He stared at her unique face covered with tear tracks and how her still bizarrely cut and colored hair was matted down where she had been pressed against him; not wanting to ever forget this Amelia.

Amelia pulled up the hem of shirt and blew her nose. "What the hell?" Sam asked surprised.

"Well, you were going to it change it anyway." She smiled innocently up at him. Missouri came through the door and found them laughing hysterically and Sam pulling off his shirt; one that had been clean when he came out here.

X

Stull, Kansas was not a big town, technically not even a town. It was midway between Lawrence and Topeka, and was basically a wide spot on a road in Douglas County. But thanks to the internet and the growing list of web sites and blogs citing the cemetery as being haunted; the local police had to work hard to keep tourists and vandals out of the small plot of land. Jody's primary function in tonight's mission was to keep the sheriff's deputies out of their way.

Sam was struck by how normal the houses and shops looked as he drove down the main street. Last time, of course, he hadn't driven to the cemetery. He had been Lucifer's vessel and the angel had just transported them directly to the old, overgrown patch of land.

Garth called as the car was clearing the edge of town; everybody had made it and there was no sign of demons, or anything else nasty, in the area. He stopped the SUV at the gate, next to all the other vehicles. It was almost midnight, but an absolutely clear night; so the half moon was more than adequate to light up the field for everybody to walk without tripping on anything. Sam could see they were all either still sitting in or waiting by the cars.

"Are you positive none of them will be hurt?" He turned to ask Amelia once more.

"Yes." She said as she was reaching for her door handle. When Sam and Missouri started reaching for their handles, she added, "Give me two minutes and I will protect all of you." And she was out of the car.

"Everything sounds so much like good-bye." Sam turned to look at Missouri in the back seat. "I don't know if I can do this."

The psychic knew he wasn't talking about saving Dean. She also knew there was nothing she could say to make it easier for him. She struggled to think of something that would remind him of all they had given each other, without reminding him of all he was to lose. In the end, she just reached up and put her hand on his shoulder.

Mother Nature stepped inside the gate of the cemetery and closed her eyes. She listened until she could hear all the hunters spread out in a large circle around the field. But Jody was even farther away, in town. Her mind searched the next few hours ahead; she saw a couple of townsfolk would still be awake at the time of the ritual and despite Jody's best efforts a deputy would be driving nearby at that time.

She opened her eyes and smiled. It had been a long time since she had displayed this much power openly. A month ago she'd whipped up that sudden rainstorm to put out the fire that had closed the highway as discretely as possible. Mother Nature hadn't told Sam or the others, the rituals would be loud and bright enough it would be felt and seen in both Topeka and Lawrence, and maybe even Kansas City. There was not much she could do about that. But she could insulate all these people willing to help her and Sam, and the people of Stull, who had the bad luck to live on top of a gateway to other dimensions.

Being a goddess in ancient times required some showmanship. She didn't need any flashy effects to make her spells and protections, they were just fun. It went back to humans needing to see it to believe it. The rituals, those were another story, and they would give them all enough bang-for-their-buck of a lightshow to last them a lifetime. For this 30 mile radius of protection, she only snapped her fingers; and that was just for the fun of it.

X

Everybody got out of their cars and waited as Amelia walked back towards them. Fourteen. Twice seven. If seven was considered a symbol of perfection, fourteen was perfection doubled. There were fourteen of them here to help seal the portals out of Purgatory. Lee and Krissy Chambers, Haley's brothers, Tom and Ben Collins, Matt and Larry Pike, Melanie Golden, the woman Sam knew in college, Rebecca Warren, and Jenny Cooper and her children, Sari and Ritchie had all come to help. Along with Cassie, Charlie and Missouri, there were fourteen. The goddess smiled broadly at the waiting group. Freeing Dean only needed two, well, three if you counted Apsu.

The goddess could feel the tension, and that at least a few of them were trying to hide something. Charlie and Missouri looked at Cassie, who Amelia now noticed was holding a rather large box. She cleared her throat and stepped away from the rest of the group. "Amelia." She turned and looked at Sam, who tried very hard to look stoic, but his lips twitched up into a grin. Cassie cleared her throat again. "Mother Nature. We know you don't need it; but we thought you might want to look nice tonight." She held out the box to the goddess.

"What?" She sensed this was what they had been trying to hide. What she didn't know was how she hadn't been able to see this. In fact, she still couldn't sense what was in the box. She noticed Missouri had a grin on her face; and Missouri did not grin.

"Hypnotic suggestion, we erased all their memories of this." The psychic said when Amelia had squinted at her. "It isn't easy to surprise Mother Nature."

Amelia took off the lid of the box. She reached in and lifted out beautiful, simply-cut dress. No, gown, was a better description; it had several shades of blues and greens in layers of soft, sheer material. It was like looking at a field of grass and a serenely flowing river melding into each other. The goddess stared at the dress; it was the most perfect gown she had ever had.

"Here, this goes with it." Charlie said as she also stepped up next to Amelia. She pulled out a wreath of flowers, woven into a diadem.

It was hard to surprise her. Mother Nature was deeply touched by these gifts; and that they had worked so hard to keep it a secret. She draped the dress over her arm, grabbed Cassie and Charlie's hands. "Come, help me change." And the three women quickly went behind the Tahoe.

A couple minutes later, Cassie and Charlie stepped out from behind the SUV. Everybody turned to watch as Mother Nature walked into view. And it wasn't Amelia that walked toward the group; it was plain to everybody that this was the embodiment of the ancient goddess know as Mother Nature. Sam recognized the gently-glowing aura radiating from her; she wasn't displaying her power, she was just happy, really happy.

"Thank you all, so much." She said when she got back and stood surrounded by the group.

"It was Jody's idea." Sam volunteered. She shook her head at him, as she took a couple steps and reached up kissed him. 'You are a really bad liar.' She whispered into his mind. "Thank you." And she kissed him again.

"We still have plenty of time. Does anybody have questions about what they're supposed to do or what is going to happen?" Amelia asked after turning away from Sam.

They all looked at each other. The goddess could hear their questions, but didn't want to make them feel intruded upon, if she could avoid it.

"Is it going to hurt?" Ritchie Cooper finally asked; cringing thinking everybody would think he was 'being a baby'.

The goddess came over and knelt down in front of the youngest member of the group. She took his hands in hers, her touch instantly calming the boy. "Did that hurt?"

"No. That just felt like my socks, when mom forgets to put fabric softner in the dryer." She smiled. Almost all of them let of a sigh of release, or giggled, because they had all wanted to ask the question.

She leaned next to Ritchie's ear and whispered. "And remember; you're not a baby if you're brave enough to ask the question."

"Okay, this part is going to a little tricky." She said as she stood back up, smiling. "To make the circle, you're going to form around Sam and me, as strong as possible, I would like you to be arranged in reverse chronologic order." The chorus of 'huhs' told her she needed to elaborate. "Youngest to oldest. Well, second oldest; since I have you all beat by at least 50,000 years." She looked at the group; a few had slight grins but nobody laughed. "Okay, Sam. I guess you were right; I can't tell a joke."

Charlie was put in charge of asking for birthdays and organizing the information. Sam pulled Amelia aside while the group exchanged information. "I don't remember you telling me about needing this?"

She turned away to make sure no one could overhear her. "I don't, but it might strengthen the vortex I'm going to create. Mostly, I wanted to give them something to do, so they don't get nervous waiting." She smiled and winked at him. "And, I AM FUNNY. You humans just don't get my sense of humor." She kissed him on the cheek and walked over to check on the progress of figuring out who was older than whom.

Sam watched in fascination as the group broke up into smaller groups. The kids all seemed to migrate together. Krissy and Sari were almost the same age, and girlish giggling quickly ensued. Other than Missouri, and of course Amelia, most of the women were in the 30s or 40s. The men, being greatly outnumbered, herded together. If he didn't know better, Sam could have sworn he was looking at a suburban backyard gathering. Not that he had any actual experience with those; he was basing it off years of sitcoms and old movies he'd seen on TV.

He used the time to look for their desired location; slipping off to wander around inside the cemetery. He thought it might be better if he faced the past now, rather than the last minute. He could only vaguely see it in the memories from that afternoon. Nothing looked familiar to him. He guessed three years of decay and weed growth might make it hard for him to recognize the spot. He gave up after 30 minutes, and looked up to the night sky. He wasn't sure if he was going to pray to a God he was having a really hard believing in, hoping he still gave a crap; or, if he was just looking to see if he could spot Venus among all the million twinkling dots?

"They're both there, Sam." Missouri said as she stepped up next to him.

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A.N. Hope you don't mind a couple chapters this week; I really want to be done before the SPN Finale next week. Considering I started last July with the intention of being done before the start of Season 8; I'm still pretty amazed it took me almost a year and 150 pages to tell my first fanfiction. And, it turns out I still need two more chapters to finish; and probably a big, old honkin' epilogue sometime this summer.

In case you can't tell, Swan Song is probably my favorite episode, and Season 5 my favorite season; although this year has been so fabulous, its running a close second.

Long as I'm rambling, I should probably restate "no copyright infringement' was ever intended. I used the brilliant writing and characters of Eric Kripke and all the other writers of Supernatural solely for personal enjoyment. And, I hope yours.