A/N: I can't believe we've reached the end of this series...

I struggled with who of the women in Sam's life would be best to write stories for. That's why this idea was so appealing for me - it was a chance to try out different characters and see who would work best. I received a request to write more Sam and Jessica following Chapter 3 (and thanks to celeste301, I have an idea!), so look for that soon. I'm also open to other suggestions you may have. Drop me a note in a review or PM?

A big thank you to all of those who have supported me along the way. Your reviews gave me confidence and made me smile through it all.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

Chapter 10: Halley

The world around him swims to focus in bold technicolor. The landscape is painted in hues that seem almost unnatural. The leaves on the trees are brilliant reds, yellows and oranges. They almost burn together as they reach toward a sky the color of a robin's egg.

What gets him most though is the quiet. The only sounds are the rustle of leaves in the soft breeze and the shuffle of the rocks beneath his shoes. Closing his eyes for a moment, he's sure he hears the sound of flowing water.

Though unaware of his surroundings, he isn't afraid. He's calm. Completely at peace in a way he hasn't felt for as long as he can remember. Breathing the crisp air deeply, he shoves his hands in his pockets and continues to stroll at a leisurely pace. He's not sure where he's going and, somehow, it doesn't really matter.

Coming to a bridge - the old, covered kind, weathered and painted red - he sees a young woman staring out at the river. She's dressed in faded blue jeans and a purple sweater. Her long hair is the color of wet sand and falls down her back in a thick braid.

He approaches cautiously. She seems familiar and yet he can't place her. Years of hunting have taught him to expect the unexpected. Is she a demon? Has some other monster invaded her flesh, holding her captive?

She chuckles, turning to face him, her head tilted to the side as she continues to lean on the railing. "I figured you'd find me here if you looked long enough," she says softly. Smiling at him, she offers her hand.

His brow furrows in confusion.

"Come on, Sam," she teases. Her voice and laugh are lyrical. "Don't you remember where we met?"

Sam remains motionless. He tilts his head, eliciting further laughter as he gazes at her with a puppyish expression.

She steps closer, growing quiet when the look on his face fails to change. "You really don't remember, do you?" she lets out a breath, her large blue eyes darkening to an almost cobalt. But the emotion behind them isn't anger. It's almost relief. "This is where we met," she tells him.

He looks around, sure he'd remember this place. It was rather quaint and idyllic. Surely if he had been here, he'd remember. "I..." he starts.

"Of course," she says, gazing back out onto the water. "It didn't look like this that night. Guess you could say things finally got back to normal."

So he'd been here on a hunt. But when?

Taking his hand, she tugs him forward. "Walk with me?"

It isn't hard to keep up with her, he takes one step for every two of hers. Glancing sideways, he notices the pretty, pink glow of her cheeks. She's vibrant. There's something almost etherial about her and he finds himself filled with and odd sense of dread.

They walk until they reach town. It's small and maintains the rural atmosphere of the path they followed to get here. Sam sees a single traffic light and notices the tidiness of the storefronts.

They reach a little bar and enter to find it empty. He works to get his bearings having missed a look at the sign above the door as she pulled him along. He reaches out, trying to grab a cocktail napkin or a book of matches from the bins at one of the corners.

She smiles up at him, her eyes softening. "This bring back any memories?" she asks carefully.

He sinks into the booth she's lead him to and ponders the situation. It's obviously important. She told him she knew he'd been looking for her. Told them they'd already met.

Searing pain rips through his temple with a blinding flash of light. He works to maintain focus - to push past the pain and grip the memory he knows is waiting on the other side. his grasp comes up just short. The fingers that reach out for the brass carousel ring come up empty.

Her hands are cool as they touch his face. They ease the agony that shreds him to pieces. "Shhh," she whispers, her lips fluttering over his.

The kiss is soothing and offers comfort. He kisses her back, cradling her face between his palms and encouraging her to sit in his lap. His breathing quickens as he realizes this isn't the first time he's kissed her. A name forms on the edge of his tongue as it dances against hers. He pulls back suddenly.

"Halley...?" he asks, his voice quaking.

She nods. "This was where we shared our first kiss..." Halley answers. He watches in horror as bruises bloom around her neck and her skin pales. It appears that the life is flowing out of her. Suddenly fearful, she stands up and backs away. "But that's not how it happened..."

He bolts upright to find himself in bed. His t-shirt is damp and clings to his chest. The memory - the real one, the one that tells him what really happened - hits him full force. He remembers her. He remembers what happened between them.

She wasn't a demon. She wasn't a thing that went bump in the night or something he'd hunted. She was an innocent. A victim.

Worse than that, she was his victim.

A/N: I have parts of Halley's story sketched out...any interest in discovering more about what happened between her and Sam?