It was almost 3:30 AM.

In approximately five minutes he and Mother Nature would break into Purgatory and bring Dean home. Everybody and everything was in place. The goddess had easily found the spot they were going to use; and it still didn't look any different than the rest of the cemetery to Sam. She had also pointed out Venus in the night sky, so everybody could look toward the planet during the ritual.

Cassie had helped carry the Thermos bottles, since she was the only other one of the seven present. She had joined her place in the circle of fourteen sitting about twenty feet back from where he and the goddess stood.

It was about 3:30 AM. That's what Mother Nature had just said. They had to take her word for it, since she had told everybody to remove everything but their clothes; no watches, phones or cameras, no metals and no wallets. A couple of people had wondered about that, but she had explained the magnetic strips on the ATM and credit cards needed to be outside the circle. She'd also had them remove their shoes and socks, so they could make contact with the planet.

Sam been no exception; except for the part about metal; because, of course, he had needed to keep the amulet around his neck. The goddess had helped him take off his shirt, so the amulet could be in contact with his skin. She thanked him again for the dress; because he had made sure Jody got an all cotton dress, so that she could wear the natural fabric during the ritual.

It was a minute or two after 3:30. Mother Nature nodded to Sam and he started reciting the incantation. She bent over and picked up the first Thermos, and opened Cassie's bottle. Sam held the amulet out, and the goddess poured the few drops of blood onto the small metal face. Sam could feel the amulet start to vibrate and hum. Mother Nature repeated the process with five more of the bottles; with him repeating the incantation with each fluid. Sam assumed she had done them in a particular order, but he couldn't remember the significance of them right now.

Apsu was now vibrating so violently, Sam had to struggle to control the amulet. Amelia had nearly missed getting Haley's breast milk on the amulet because it had suddenly almost jolted out of his hands. The trapped god was also now doing a lot more than humming. With each fluid and recitation, Sam could more clearly hear what Apsu was saying. The words were in a different language, Sam assumed Sumerian; but it was clear he was also reciting the incantation

It was 3:34 AM on the morning of July Twelfth, 2012. Mother Nature picked up and opened his, the last, bottle. She wrapped one of her hands around his, her grip was slightly painful but her strength kept his hands steady. She nodded at him again and tipped up the Thermos over the amulet. As the first drop landed on the metal, they started reciting the incantation in unison. It was 3:35 AM.

X

He couldn't say if the sudden shaft of light came down from Venus, up from the hole in the ground that had appeared between his and Mother Nature's feet; or if it started in his hands, coming out the amulet. Sam didn't really care where it came from, as long as his brother was standing next to him before it disappeared.

He wondered why his hands weren't being incinerated; because he could feel the heat on his chest and face that the beam was generating and see the grass scorching around the edge of the hole. Sam felt something pass through his fingers, travelling down the beam of the purest, whitest light he had ever seen. He looked at the Goddess, at Mother Nature. Even he couldn't think of her as Amelia like this.

Before he could ask her if what he had felt was Apsu going to get Dean; the beam was gone. 'NOOOOOOOOO." Sam screamed as he looked down. The beam was gone, but there was still light coming from the hole; it was pulsating, no, it was more erratic, like something was struggling within the hole. Without even thinking about it, Sam dropped to his belly and shoved his hands down into the hole. He felt a hand grab one of his wrists, he clasped his fingers around the arm attached to that hand and he pulled.

He brought his other hand up and sunk it into the soil around the hole; trying to get leverage. He managed to pull them up a few inches; every muscle in his body screaming from the exertion. The weight suddenly shifted and he felt the hand lose its grip. He dropped back down and almost dove into the hole, when he felt two hands grip his. But, there was also twice as much weight, and he no longer had an anchoring grip on the edge of the hole. He felt himself slipping, being pulled down into the light.

In the next second, he was sure he had died, but that he was headed to heaven this time. He felt the soft arms of his lover slip around his chest; much like they had a few hours ago in the garage. Wait, this wasn't quite the loving embrace he had been expecting. He felt the arms squeeze his chest until he couldn't breathe. That's when noticed he was being pulled up and out of the hole.

As Sam's vision was starting to blur from lack of oxygen he saw two faces emerge from the hole and the light. DEAN! He didn't have enough air in his lungs to scream his brother's name. And, there was Castiel, with Dean's other hand wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly. He felt all three of them drop to the ground, and he gasped as his lungs suddenly filled with air again. Just before he let the darkness take him, he saw Amelia look down into his face and smile.

It was 3:36 AM on July Twelfth, 2012.

X

"Sammy? Sam, come on, that's enough of a nap; time to wake up." Now he was sure he was heaven, he and Dean had gone there together. 'Oh crap. We're dead and he's still calling me Sammy.' Except, he didn't think even Dean would get to slap his face in heaven. Oh God, his whole body hurt. 'I didn't think there was any pain in heaven?'

'Sam, honey. You're not dead; you're just unconscious. But if you don't wake up, NOW, and deal with your brother; he may be dead by the time you do.' Amelia's voice reached into his foggy mind; her aggravation penetrating even his battered and oxygen deprived brain. He cracked open an eye and saw streaks of sunlight, then got brave and opened the other eye.

He gasped, when his field of vision was suddenly filled with his brother's smirking face. "Hey ya, Sammy!"

"Dean?" He rasped out, even as he felt his brother grab his hand and help him to get up. "DEAN." And Sam reached out and pulled his brother into a hug. After a couple of seconds, Sam started sniffing, and then pushed his brother away. "Holy crap, you stink."

"Yeah? You try finding a shower or a bar of soap in Purgatory. At least I'm not lying on the ground, in a cemetery, half-naked. Why are you half-naked?" Dean paused, and stared at Sam's chest. "Is that my necklace? How did that get here? And what the hell is that all over it?" The teasing banter, the only way they'd ever really learned to let the other know they were okay, being over, and Sam unable to keep track of all his brother's questions; he pulled him into another tight hug.

This time when Sam pulled away, he looked around. He noticed all the cars but the Tahoe were gone; and then it dawned on him, he was standing outside the cemetery, near where they had parked the cars. And, it was rapidly getting light; that dawn was fully upon them. "Crap. I must have been out a long time." He quickly scanned again. "Where's Amelia?"

"I'm here, Sam." Her voice called out and then she stepped from behind the car. She was once again wearing the outfit she had worn when she left Missouri's house. As she approached Sam and Dean, she scowled at Dean, raising and pointing a finger at him. "I told you, one more word and I'll drop you back in that hole we pulled you out of."

"What? I didn't say anything. Where did you find her, Sam? Did you know she's a psychic, or something? Do you know what she did to me?" Dean said as he ducked behind his brother, as Amelia reached out, but only to hand Sam his shirt.

"I told you, I didn't do anything. He got you out of Purgatory; he just wanted to use the body to say good-bye." She rolled her eyes for emphasis.

"Possessed. Sam, she let me be possessed; and then it used me to flirt with your girl." Dean mockingly ranted.

Sam didn't quite hear all of what his brother was saying; because Amelia was giving her side of the story telepathically. 'It's how Apsu got you brother out of Purgatory, possessing his body. He just stayed in Dean for a little longer to thank me for setting him free.' To Dean she said, "Listen, you…, you…; he risked it all to go back for your angel friend. "

"Hey. He was in control of the meatsuit, he's the one that almost dropped Cas."

"Cas?" It suddenly occurred to Sam he hadn't seen Castiel yet. "Dean, where is Cas?

"I don't know. He got one look at her and took off." Dean replied while hooking his thumb in her direction.

"You didn't tell him?" Sam asked, as he noticed he still hadn't put on his shirt she had given him.

"He's your brother. I figured you'd know the best way to tell him."

"Tell me what?" Dean had already figured out Sam was in love with the girl, from the way his brother's face had changed when she had come into view a minute ago. He'd also known she was in love with Sam, long before he'd slapped his little brother awake. And, despite knowing she wasn't quite as human as he'd like; he could sense she meant him no harm.

He was also still trying to figure out why whatever it was that had possessed him had seemed so familiar, kind of like an old friend who knew everything about him. He shook his head, trying to clear the creepy feeling he'd had when he suddenly awoke kissing a strange girl, and that for a split second, she had also felt so familiar.

Dean heard it first, but then Sam heard the rumble of the Impala's engine, as it came into sight. Sam looked at Amelia. She smiled and answered his silent question. "I thought maybe you two should take a drive, and you can tell him what we've been up to."

Dean had been watching his baby approach, wondering who was behind the wheel. But he quickly turned back to the younger pair. "TMI! I so do not want to know what you two have been up to."

"I'm assuming you mean besides saving your ass." Sam snarked, just as Garth put the classic Chevy in park and turned off the ignition.

"Well, it's nice to see the Winchesters back together." Garth said as he tossed the keys to Dean. He nodded and smiled at the goddess. "Amelia, you are looking lovely, as always."

"Thank you, Garth. And thanks for bringing Dean his car." She walked up to Sam and kissed his cheek. "I'll wait for you at Missouri's." She turned back to Garth. "Think you can drive something other than a boat, and get me back to Missouri's house?"

She couldn't help but return some of the shit Dean had been giving her; after what he'd put her through since Apsu had left his body. She should have known her ex-consort would try to get the last word. He had departed Dean's body while they were embraced in a good-bye kiss; so Dean regained consciousness 'sucking face' with her. He had proceeded to behave very badly, in her opinion. And when he recognized where they were and saw Sam lying on the ground unconscious, he became totally unreasonable. It didn't matter that she had already checked on him, and that he was going to be fine.

She had sent him to sleep for a while; she was kind of busy; sealing the portals out Purgatory and all. Of course she'd known most of Dean's blustering and bitching had been because he had been confused and concerned for Sam. Watching her create the vortex, controlling the amount of raw energy she had used to close those seals, would only have added to his confusion. Or, maybe lead him to try and 'gank' her.

She'd also put the fourteen into deep trances; she didn't think they would have ever recovered from the shock of seeing her exercise her ultimate power. And waking and seeing the sleeping, although he had assumed dead, bodies of fourteen people, had only made Dean more agitated.

Sam watched Garth and Amelia climb into the car, and the Tahoe head back the way Garth had just come. Dean had wanted to protest the way she had talked about his beloved car, but Sam had put a restraining hand on his arm; so Dean just watched his brother, as Sam watched the girl leave.

"So. Where to Sam?" Dean asked as he started for his car.

"Dean. We really need to talk."

X

"So? You do know, you may have put us out-of-business, Hunters, that is?" Garth asked after they were are on the road back to Lawrence; after several quiet and uncomfortable minutes of silence.

Amelia, and that was who she felt like right now; because the ecstasy from saving the world paled compared to the dread she felt over leaving Sam. She hadn't been ignoring Garth, well, not really. She had been so lost in her own thoughts; she really had forgotten where she was.

The amount of power she had been able to create and use last night had surprised her. In hind sight she should have known; she had felt the embryo attach to Amelia's uterine wall as she was putting on the beautiful gown. But, she hadn't become this strong with the other children her vessels had carried. Of course, they hadn't been conceived with Sam Winchester; or, was it her, was she really that different? The One had implied she was.

She had wanted to run to Sam and tell him the glow of happiness he had recognized had nothing to do with a pretty dress. She hoped she would have time to tell him, before she left. Amelia shook her head, trying to force those thoughts away.

"Garth, I'm sure there's a long list of very bad things out there, enough to keep all of you busy for the rest of your lives." She said as she turned to look at him. "Just so long as you don't include me or Sam on that list." She debated telling Garth about his future; and his essential role in the establishment of an organized and well-coordinated Hunting Society.

"Are you kidding? It will be great to have something like you on our side for a change."

She couldn't believe being called a something had stung. But, it occurred to her, Sam hadn't told him, or probably any of them, that she, Mother Nature, wasn't staying. It suddenly occurred to her, she'd be leaving Amelia, the short girl from Spokane, very vulnerable if people thought she was still a goddess. The poor girl would be at risk from rogue hunters and anything else that thought she still had supernatural powers.

Mother Nature now knew she had one more mission before she left; to protect her vessel and her child. "Garth, you do know that I'm not staying? Sometime tonight I'll be leaving this vessel; Amelia Stone will just be a girl from Washington."

The hunter stared at the goddess until the car started to drift to the left, the honk of an oncoming car finally breaking the shock. "Balls!"

X

Sam debated if he should let Dean just drive while he explained all that had happened in the two months; or if they'd end up wrapped around a pole or in a ditch as Dean reacted to some of the things he was going to tell him. He knew he didn't want to have the conversation here, because this place was even more painful for his brother than it was for him.

"You must be starving, why don't we find someplace to get you a good breakfast?" He said as he climbed into the passenger seat of the Impala. "Just make sure they have take-out." He added as his brother's smell reached him in the enclosed car.

Dean quickly flipped him off and then quickly drove away from Stull Cemetery, seriously hoping it was the last time he'd ever be there. When he got to the road, he debated which way to turn. He wanted to head west just as fast as they could, and get away from Lawrence; another place he would be okay never seeing again. He looked at Sam, thought about how he had looked watching that girl, or whatever she was, leave; and he knew his brother had unfinished business, and that she was waiting for him to the east, at Missouri's house. Hell, this was northeast Kansas, he'd find a barbeque place that opened early and let his brother tell him how he'd fallen for yet another supernatural chick.

X

Amelia found Missouri was home alone. Everybody had been so exhausted, despite the naps Mother Nature had induced; they'd all gone to motels to clean-up and sleep. Jenny had invited the Chambers to stay with them since Sari and Krissy had already become fast friends; it didn't hurt that Lee was a decent man and attractive widower.

Missouri told her they all planned to be back by mid-afternoon; and they'd all bring food and have a potluck before they all went their separate ways. Missouri said she'd just been waiting until the goddess got there, and headed off to her room to get some sleep before her home was invaded one more time. She stopped and gave Mother Nature a hug. "Thank you, for everything. And I'll help Sam, and Dean, protect both of them until the day I die."

Still not being used to the psychic reading her thoughts so easily, a tear sprang to her eye. "I know you will." As Missouri walked down the hall, the goddess asked her a question. "Is Missouri your real name?"

The psychic turned and gave Amelia a questioning look. "Of course."

Both women smiled knowing it was a lie. "That's funny. I see the first grand-daughter being named Mabel, after a most trusted friend. Who's there for the birth, by the way."

Missouri closed her door and smiled. She had never been able to see her own future, but the goddess had just told her of a long and happy life, as part of Sam's extended family. She lay down, exhausted and happier than she had been in a long time.

X

Dean found a picnic bench, isolated enough no one could smell him, or hear what Sam had to say. They ate in silence, other than Sam asking to switch places so he was upwind. Both had a million questions, and yet, both were afraid of the answers they might get.

Dean ate the last bite of the only decent food he'd had in almost two months. "Okay, tell me."