A/n – Ok, so in the happy little world that is my brain, this story takes place in mid- second season, in between 2.09 Hunted and 2.10 Playthings. I do not own anything having to do remotely with anything from the Supernatural TV series. (Though I wouldn't mind getting Jensen Ackles in my Christmas Stocking…)

Boston, Massachusetts, Two Weeks Previously –

"That's not funny, man."

"Dude, seriously, you really believe that stuff?"

"Yeah man, it's just a bunch of crap for little kids."

Matt rolled his eyes. His friends never believed him when he told them what was really going on. Nothing he could ever show them made them believe, not photos, not video, nothing. He sighed.

"Fine, but when I roll by in my car with a hot chick that can beat our varsity swim team by ten lengths, don't come crying to me when you want one too!"

His friends laughed as they walked away, leaving him on the beach, fishing pole in hand. Muttering about morons with nothing better to do than make fun of the smart person they'd one day be working for, Matt cast his line out. He didn't really think he'd catch a mermaid this close to shore, but he might catch something he could use as bait for one. He sighed as he sat and waited.

"Now, what's a cute little anchovy like yourself doing out here on your own?" Matt jumped at the woman's voice that came from behind him. When he turned, he saw one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen walking towards him. She had long, curly red hair, deathly white skin, and eyes so blue they pierced his like nails.

"I- uh, I was- just um…" He stammered, unable to form a coherent thought. Her laugh made his legs go weak.

"Oh, don't worry my little guppy," She said, reaching out and stroking her hand through his hair; when had she gotten so close to him? "I'm told this only hurts for a second."

Matt opened his eyes and tried to scream. He couldn't. He was paralyzed, but not just with fear.

His eyes stayed open as he slowly drowned on his own blood. The woman smacked her lips and began slurping the blood pouring from Matt's torn throat. She couldn't wait for her next meal.

She hoped it would be more of a challenge than this one.

Boston, Massachusetts; Present day –

"Seriously, dude?" The look on Dean's face was one of supreme annoyance. "A mermaid? Sam, you gotta lay off those fisherman books before you go to bed, man."

"I am serious Dean," Sam was all business to his brother's jokes. "There have been stories running around Boston for centuries. Every 40 years or so, there's a rash of killings, all men, all found in Boston Harbor, all," he pulled out some photos he'd printed offline earlier, "With their throats torn out. Also, they all had something else missing." He held up the crime scene photos for Dean to see. He glanced over, unwilling to take his eyes off the road for too long.

"Well, now that's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Singing soprano in the afterlife." He blew air out his pursed lips. "That's gotta suck."

"Yeah, well, Dad was tracking the murders and realized something. All of the men had been castrated just before they died, meaning whatever killed these guys needed…"

"It needed their balls."

"Apparently. From what I can decipher from his notes, Dad thought it was some sort of mating ritual."

Dean snorted. "That literally sucks balls."

Sam gave him his special glare, the one he reserved for when Dean was being especially crass.

"What?" Sam just rolled his eyes and kept going.

"According to the lore Dad has here, there are no male mermaids-"

"Cause that would just be weird."

"Can you stop making comments for two seconds?" Sam almost threw their father's notebook on the floor of the Impala.

"Dude! We're talking about mermaids!" Dean used his hands to make a point, but didn't take them off the wheel. "Those can't be real!"

"If I remember correctly, you said the same thing about vampires." Dean made his skeptical snorting noise again. Sam just shook his head and kept talking. "All the victims were missing most of their blood as well, so it appears that they feed and mate at the same time."

Dean got a sort of ill look on his face. "Aw, man, I should not have eaten at that seafood place a few miles back." Sam just glared at him. "What?"

"It's just- nothing." Sam shook his head and went back to the Journal. While Dean cranked up the volume on Kansas' Fight Fire with Fire, he flipped to the back page of their dad's book and looked at the flyer he'd stuck in there. There was a note on it, one of several, that said 'Possible Boston sighting, anonymous caller' right underneath the picture of Ava and her pertinent details.

Looked like the mermaids weren't the only wild goose chase the brothers would be going on during this Boston trip.