AN: Minor edit to the first chapter: Gabe was in Bora Bora when he took his picture. Jumped the gun on choosing my location. Shoulda just stuck with my dream island to begin with.

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Fishsticks
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Castiel stared at the small laptop screen in horror as he set down the small glass of whiskey he held. He had absolutely no recollection of the events he was watching.

Castiel was bundled up in a heavy, black coat and a blue knitted scarf. He kicked at a nearby stump. 'You're all idiots!' he screamed. 'How can you even think something like the…the Loch Ness Monster exists?! Look at that lake! Look at it!'

The camera obediently panned to the lake. Castiel reappeared in frame, pointing out to the dark water. 'Certainly not a herd or pod or…or whatever you would call a whole family of them! There is no way a lake this size could sustain them. Let's say—let's just pretend, for one moment, that there is a lake monster. Hell, let's go all out and say it's a plesiosaur! Just one.'

He passed out of frame, his scarf trailing behind him. The camera soon followed, catching him stumbling along a dirt path. He spun around, and the image on the screen jerked back as Castiel glared. 'So what happened to the rest of them? Animals don't magically appear! Where are its parents?!'

'In the ocean?' a voice from off-camera supplied.

Castiel pulled up straight gave a dirty look. 'Then what's a saltwater animal doing in a freshwater lake?'

The camera shook minutely, and Castiel rolled his eyes, continuing on his way down the dirt path. 'Okay, fine. Somehow, our sea-going creature got stuck in this lake. A plesiosaur could live, what? A hundred years or so? Okay, if the damned thing does exist, it was first sighted in the 1930s. There have been eighty years to catch concrete proof of this thing, and…oh! There is nothing solid!'

He came to a stop at the edge of the lake. 'At least with giant squids, we had their remains! Scarring on whales! This?' He waved his hand at the lake. 'With this, there's nothing! All this technology, and you have nothing to show for it! And sorry to break it to you, but even if the first sighting was of a juvenile, then you're running out of time! You have maybe twenty years to find this thing. If it even exits. Which it doesn't!'

'Forty if we're lucky!' Gabriel's voice added cheerfully.

Castiel stalked past the camera. He came back into frame, dragging Gabriel with him. 'Then go find it!' he shouted as he shoved his brother into the lake. 'If anything, it's a fucking seal! Go play with your stupid photographs of seals and elephant trunks! Want me to call Elvis and see if he'll help you? I can't believe I let you drag me out here, you fucking little—'

The scene went black and Castiel took a shaky breath. 'I guess we need to reshoot?'

Gabriel clapped Castiel on the back, laughing. 'Oh, hell no! The producers loved it! They think you should do all of your segments drunk!'

Castiel pulled back, staring at his brother in shock. 'W-what?! No! I just needed to calm my nerves! I didn't mean to… I wasn't supposed to get drunk!'

'Not my fault you can't hold your liquor,' Gabriel replied with a shrug.

'I'm ruined!' Castiel moaned as he buried his head in his hands.

Gabriel rubbed Castiel's back soothingly. 'Hey…you're doing me a big favor here,' he said. 'If…if this really does ruin your career, then…I'll take care of you. Your horoscope said good things are coming.'

'I don't believe in that nonsense,' Castiel said, his voice muffled by his hands.

'That's okay. I have enough belief for both of us!' Gabriel closed the laptop and picked it up off the desk. 'Now, hurry up and get packing! We leave for Bora Bora in the morning. This is gonna be so much fun! Should we call it a sea serpent or a sea dragon? 'Cuz the eye witnesses have been calling it both.'

Castiel dropped his hand into his lap and stared up at his brother forlornly. 'You shouldn't call it anything until you have proper proof,' he replied.

Gabriel frowned at Castiel. 'But I have proof.'

'Better proof. A full shot of the body. Video… Catch one… Something more than a questionable photograph,' Castiel explained. 'The scientific community will shoot you down based on that one picture.'

'You didn't. Not entirely,' Gabriel pointed out with a smile.

Castiel shook his head as he leaned back in his chair. 'That's because I know you. And…I'm trusting that you're not lying to me.'

'I'm not,' Gabriel swore. 'Besides, I just need proof for myself. Fuck the audience. Fuck the scientific community. They can have blurry photos and mysterious sonar readings. I'm already a laughing stock. I don't have a career to ruin.'

Castiel wished he had his brother's positive outlook on life.

.-.-.-.-.

It was a beautiful January evening in Bora Bora. Clouds were slowly drifting toward the island as a lone observer watched from the edge of a small, weather-worn pier. He was a tall, young man with soft brown hair and hazel eyes. He was Sam Winchester, the mysterious man that had washed ashore three years ago with no identity and no memory. At least, that was what everyone on the island thought. He sighed as he crossed his arms, letting his gaze drift down to the water of the lagoon. His eyes narrowed as a dark shadow passed beneath the surface.

'Comin' in or goin' for a swim?' a voice asked from behind him.

Sam turned and smiled at the older man that had become like a father to him. 'I'll be in in a few, Bobby,' he replied.

Bobby nodded and turned back. 'Better make it quick,' he said over his shoulder. 'Storm's comin' in. Don't need you havin' any accidents.'

Sam nodded as he turned his attention back to the water. It had been years since he'd been in the ocean. Years since he'd last seen—

A fin of alternating darker and light violet skimmed the surface of the water just in front of him. 'No way…' Sam looked around, making certain no one was around before kneeling down on the edge of the wooden pier. He sent out a series of soft, dolphin-like clicks, and a grinning face poked out of the water.

Sam couldn't believe his eyes. Right before him was his older brother. He backed away as the other surged up, propping his torso onto the pier. A long, green fish-like tail with violet fins trailed behind him, vanishing into the water.

'Fuck,' Sam muttered. 'How the hell did you find me, you idiot?' He asked a more polite version of his question with quiet clicks and whines.

'I'm not an idiot!' the apparent merman said defensively.

'You speak English?!' Sam said in shock. 'How?'

The merman nodded, clearly proud of himself. 'TV,' he replied. 'Have you ever seen Doctor Sexy?'

Sam shook his head, bewildered. 'Why are you here,' he asked.

'Not allowed to check on my baby brother?' the merman asked. His eyes ran over Sam's body, and he pulled a disgusted face at Sam's legs. 'You look awful.'

Sam squeaked out his brother's name in an irritated tone.

'Dean!'

'What?'

'My human name! Dean,' he declared. He pushed off the pier and dipped below the surface, reappearing to Sam's right. 'I like it! What's yours?'

'Sam… Sam Winchester.'

Dean blinked up at Sam. 'You have two names?'

'First and last name… I was named after the uh…Winchester Mystery House,' Sam replied. 'I chose "Sam" for myself. I guess…you would be "Winchester," too.'

'Dean Winchester…' Dean floated back a few feet as he stared up at the darkening sky. 'Okay. I'll take it.'

Sam sat on the edge of the pier as he watched his brother. Dean ducked under again, his tail following his path. Sam winced when he caught sight of the scars. He forced a smiled as Dean resurfaced.

'So…were you ever planning on coming back?' Dean asked.

Sam shook his head. 'I…I'm happy here. I'm used to it.'

'Show me around the island?'

Sam stood and backed away. 'I haven't been in the water since I left.'

'But… It's gone,' Dean said. 'We killed it, remember? There's nothing to be afraid of.'

'It's not that,' Sam said.

'She wouldn't want you to mourn her forever,' Dean said.

'I know… I'm moving on. I've…dated. Mostly tourists. No one worth…splaying for,' Sam said, imitating fins by spreading his hands at his sides. He shook his head, sending a lock of hair into his face. He pushed it back and frowned as his eyes fell onto Dean's shorter hair. 'You cut your hair.'

Dean smiled brightly. 'Yeah! You like it?'

Sam nodded. 'It's a good look on you,' he said. His brother was certainly handsome, but as far as merfolk were concerned, Dean's colors weren't up to snuff.

'So…what's it like?' Dean asked. He reached out and tapped on Sam's shoes. 'Does it hurt?'

Sam moved his foot away, laughing softly. 'It itches during the change. But clothes? They're all right. If you want…you can come to live with me. See for yourself?' he offered. He held his breath as Dean stared at the wood of pier. With his brother right in front of him, he wanted more than anything for him to stay.

Dean eventually looked up at Sam. 'I don't know,' he said quietly. 'It's not like I really have anything to go back to.'

'What about—'

'Pretty blue fins?' Dean shook his head, looking away. 'We had our fun, but she found someone else. White tail…bright orange fins.' He shrugged. 'They look good together. The have a cute kid. Light orange and blue spots.'

'I'm sorry…' Sam sighed as kneeled down. He ran his hand over Dean's forearm.

'It's fine,' Dean said easily. 'I'm just not mate material.'

'You're an amazing hunter,' Sam pointed out. 'A strong swimmer… Anyone would be lucky to have you as a mate.'

Dean smiled bitterly as he lifted the end of his tail out of the water and spread his fin. 'Too bad I'm the wrong color, huh?'

Sam shrugged as he looked at Dean's tail fin. Dean just didn't have the same contrast as most of their kind. Sam had been blessed with a pale yellow tail with deep blue-violet markings. Sam had found that humans had it a lot easier. They got to choose how they presented themselves. Scars were potentially revered as great adventures and marks of bravery. For Dean, his scars were a flaw that marred his already bland tail.

Thunder echoed in the distance, and the pair looked to approaching clouds.

'You should find some shelter,' Dean suggested. 'Or hop in.' He looked up at Sam with a small smile.

'I'll head inside,' Sam quietly replied. 'You could come with me. I mean it. You might actually like it.'

Dean pushed away from the pier. 'Nah, I'm good. I found a nice little cave that way,' he said as he pointed north. 'Got some great views of humans. They're so…weird looking.' He eyes drifted to Sam's legs. 'Those, uh…toes are freaky.'

Sam frowned as his mind supplied a small bit of information Bobby had told him the other day. 'Oh, my God… You're the sea serpent?!'

'Sea what?'

'Why didn't I…argh!' Sam pulled at his hair as he paced back and forth.

'What? What's wrong?' Dean bobbed along, mirroring Sam's path.

'You have to find somewhere else to stay!' Sam said, hoping Dean would catch the urgency in his voice. 'Here, come up to the house. We'll get you dried off and let everything blow over.'

'I'm not going on land!' Dean said in disgust.

'Then you have to leave!'

'No! Not without you!'

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. If Dean had learned English from television, then just what concepts did he understand? Dean had learned English from television… 'Who gave you a TV to watch?' he asked.

Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam. 'My friend has it on his boat,' he carefully replied.

'You're friend. Great. Your friend is probably the reason they're coming!' Sam said, throwing his arms in the air. 'He probably told them all about you, thinking he's gonna get rich!'

'Who? Who's coming?'

'There's a…TV show coming. They're coming here to find a sea serpent that's been sighted in the area,' Sam explained. 'They're coming here, looking for you!'

'I get to be on TV?' Dean said, smiling.

'No, that's bad!' Sam glanced up as a bright flash filled the sky. He didn't have long to convince Dean. 'Humans are greedy. They murder their own kind. If they're willing to kill each other for a…a few bucks, then what do you think they'll do to you?'

'Benny's not like that,' Dean said softly.

'Benny…Benny Lafitte?' Sam let out a shocked laugh. 'Oh, my God…'

'Dean,' Dean said when Sam began to click out his name.

'Fine. Dean. You can't trust that…that pirate,' Sam said. 'He's been to prison.' Dean stared at him in confusion. 'That's where humans send people that do bad things.'

'Oh! The big house! Yeah, he told,' Dean said, smiling reassuringly. 'He was in a…gang. Robbed a bank. He's a good person now.'

'No, he's not!' Sam argued. 'About four months ago, his business partner supposedly drowned. They never found the body. Everyone knows he killed him to keep the business for himself!'

Dean pulled himself up onto the pier. After a small struggle, he managed to get into a sitting position with his tail trailing back into the water. He stretched out his primary and secondary fins, showing off new tears. 'This,' he said, 'would have been a lot worse if Benny hadn't killed that jerk.'

'What?' Sam felt a numbness overtake him.

'Benny saved my life. I was stealin' fish from their net when it pulled up, and I got caught. That guy was aimin' to kill me right there on that deck. Benny shot him,' Dean said quietly, running his fingers along the edges of the tears. 'Took him a little while to untangle me, but the moment he did, he pushed me back in the water.'

'I don't… Why would he do that?' Sam asked.

Dean shrugged as he flicked his tail back and forth. 'I showed up a few times, and he never made any attempt to catch me. Just started calling me "Dean." He'd talk to me, play the radio. Then he gave me his little TV,' he said with fondness. 'He was trying to distract me so he could fish without me getting in the way. Apparently, I scare the fish.'

Sam let out a relieved laugh as he sat next to Dean. 'That doesn't change the fact that there are people coming that want to find you.'

'Then I'll make myself scarce,' Dean said, dropping back into the water. 'Which is what you should do if you don't wanna get wet.'

Sam stared at the rippling water beneath his feet. A bathtub just didn't have the same feel as the ocean. He had snuck into a pool once, but the chlorine had left him itching for weeks after. He knew that if he jumped in, he would probably leave everything he had behind. He was happy with his current life. Sharks didn't stalk people on land.

His eyes focused on Dean's concerned face when he felt a soft tapping on his shoe.

'Sam… You need to hurry… I'll be fine,' Dean promised. 'I'll be careful.'

Sam nodded as he got to his feet. 'Stay out of the lagoon. Especially during the day.'

Dean winked as he swam backward. 'Hey, one good thing about my colors,' he said, 'I don't stand out like you would.'

Sam turned away after Dean disappeared into the water. He wondered if he should warn Bobby. Maybe the older man would turn the television crew away from their small hotel. He sighed to himself. He couldn't ask that of Bobby and Karen. They had given him so much and asked for nothing in return. They had kept his secret when they didn't have to, and even asked him if he was comfortable with the crew staying at the hotel.

Besides, Karen was looking forward to the publicity it would bring them. That, and she happened to have a crush on the host of the show.