Summary: Dean and Sam are working a job involving a water wraith when things suddenly go wrong. Luckily, they kill the wraith, but when Dean starts to see strange and impossible things he begins to wonder if their job is actually done. His questioning soon leads him to the truth and to the dire consequences it holds.

Timeline: Sometime between "Home" and "Scarecrow".

Rating: K+

Warning: Character death, mild language

AN: This story has been altered a tiny bit from its original post. Hope you like!

The Water is Warm and Children Swim

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"We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it."
- James Matthew Barrie

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Part One

He had fallen in. Reaching out to grab hold of his brother's outstretched hand, he had fallen in. The water had raged beneath him as he had felt his body tilt forward, but still he had reached further. He had known he would fall, but Sam's hand had been just a few inches away.

The water was hypothermic freezing and it felt like a thousand pinpricks as it encased his entire body. He remained still for a moment, motionless as he hovered in the black water, but then he felt the rush of the current and he was swept away. His thoughts were turned far from his own safety for he knew his brother was ahead of him and his only goal was to reach Sam.

The darkness was almost silent as the water filled his ears. His eyes were wide open, searching, but there was no sign of his brother. Only inky blackness, streaks of silvery bubbles. His back suddenly hit something hard and jagged and when he opened his mouth water poured down his throat. His body automatically tried to gasp for air and there was a sharp pain as the liquid began to fill his lungs. He kicked his feet wildly, still searching for his brother, as he headed for the murky light above him. He needed air, but the river was too strong. Its silvery hands pulled him down, deeper, as he desperately fought against its strength.

His eyes stung and his body was wracked with pain as his thoughts began to flee from his mind and were replaced with the indecisive feeling of panic. A sharp object knocked his head as he struggled and he felt a deep gash grow, the pain barely noticed as his body screamed for air. He was so close, and now he reached his hand out in a last attempt to reach for life. He thought it was simply a cruel joke as he felt the warm air on his hand but not on his lips.

His body would not obey his mind. When he told his legs to kick they stopped and let the current take him away, his hand slipping back into the dark depths of the raging river. He closed his eyes, the hunt for his brother ended, and a strange sense came over him. His mind began to drift as if in a dream, fading into unconsciousness...

He suddenly felt a hand grasp his wrist. All Dean's energy had fled him as he had fought to survive, and now he let the strong arms haul him from the water and drag him from its tempting pull. He felt air on his tongue and he greedily sucked it in, water sputtering from his mouth at first but the sweet substance soon filling his lungs. Solid ground was beneath him now and his body went limp as the hand released him and he heard a voice.

"Dean?" His eyes flickered open in response to his name. "Man I thought you weren't going to make it. Jesus…"

"Sam?" His little brother was kneeling beside him, his hands resting on his knees and his eyes squinting in the sun. Water dripped from his tangled hair and his chest rose in long, even breaths. Dean blinked away the water from his eyes. "Sam, how did you… How did you get out of the river?"

The younger Winchester smiled as he stood up, reaching down a hand for his brother to grab hold of. Helping Dean up, Sam answered, "I have more upper body strength then you give me credit for."

Dean shook his head unbelievingly but was simply grateful that they were alive. Within the river there was a moment when he had actually given up, accepted the fact that he was about to die. He had stopped not only his struggle to live, but his fight to save Sammy. He had almost failed his brother. The thought of that scared Dean more now than anything he had faced in the past, be it demon or monster.

"Well, at least we got rid of that damn water wraith." Dean cast a grim look at the river, the current still strong and wild, as he tried to hide his panicked relief.

"You sure?"

"Yah I'm sure." Dean seemed a little annoyed at his brother's doubtfulness. "As soon as the thing pulled you in I threw the charm in the water. Ran my ass off to try to reach you. Damn it Sam, next time don't stand so close to the edge."

Sam cast the older Winchester an amused look but remained silent. Looking down at his soaking wet clothes, Dean sighed. "Let's get back to the motel."

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A hot shower and a dry pair of clothes had Dean back in a good mood. He exited the washroom and spotted his brother sitting at the small, circular table in the far corner of the motel room. The laptop was perched before him, his fingers rapidly skimming across the keyboard. "What are you doing?"

Sam took a moment to answer, obviously focused intently on the screen. "Just catching up on some things," he mumbled.

"What things?" Dean asked, his mood quickly returning to annoyance at his brother's lack of detail. He took a step forward to view the screen but suddenly stopped. "What the hell are you doing still wet?" he asked with a tone of stunned amazement. "Dude, change your clothes!"

Sam's hair and clothes were still thoroughly drenched. It looked as if he had just stepped out of the river, a pool of water forming by his feet. "Ah man, come on!" Dean groaned as he noticed the puddle. "Get up and put some dry clothes on. What are you doing on that computer anywa-" Dean didn't finish his question as he took another step and examined the screen.

It was completely blank; simply a white screen. No words, pictures, or even a cursor obstructed the image, yet Sam seemed to be completely focused on the monitor, the keys still making the continuous tap tap tap sounds as his fingers played over them. Dean looked at his brother strangely. He was about to say something when the laptop suddenly snapped shut and Sam rose from the seat to face him.

"You're right," the younger Winchester agreed. "I'm going to take a shower and then turn in." Dean silently watched his brother as he walked to the bathroom door, stopping just before he entered. "Oh, and do you think you can pick some things up at the grocery store down the street? We'll need some things for the road tomorrow."

Dean nodded his head slowly, his brother vanishing into the washroom and the sound of running water quickly reaching his ears. Shaking his head, he grabbed the keys from the dresser and made his way out of the room.

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Thirteen minutes later Dean was standing in front of a stack of crowded shelves, his hand reaching for a pack of Oreos. He balanced the bag in his arms along with the other assortment of food products he had picked up around the store, cursing himself for not picking up a basket on the way in. Finally satisfied with his selections, Dean turned to head to the front of the store and the cashier counters.

He froze.

"Mom?" The word was a whisper on his lips. He stood still for a moment. Only for a moment... Dean suddenly shoved the items in his arms onto one of the shelves, the bag of Oreos falling to the floor below.

"Mom! Hey!" He began to run, pushing past carts and dodging customers. "Mom!" He was so close. She was standing just at the end of the aisle, the white gown he had last seen her in cast around her pale form. But she was shaking her head, and suddenly she was walking away. He couldn't believe it. She was gliding across the tiled floor and was swiftly gone, disappearing out of view.

Dean burst out into the main aisle of the store, his breathing hard and erratic. Other customers were staring at him, bewildered expressions lining their faces. He swung his head around, searching the customers' faces for his mother's, but she was not among them.

Dean's shoulders slumped. He had sworn he had seen her. She had been right in front of him, her eyes watching him attentively. She had been real. Somehow, she had been real.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Dean quickly left the store.

To Be Continued