Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 12

Sam laughed as he dried his hair and Dean tickled him, making Sam drop the towel as he tried to squirm away. Dean picked him up and tossed him on the bed, getting on and pinning him down to keep tickling until Sam was begging for mercy. They lay on the bed together panting for air and then Dean rolled on top of Sam again but this time he kissed him and Sam pulled him closer to return the kiss. Sam spread his legs, letting Dean settle between them as they kissed and touched but then he raised his knees and Dean stared in shock, it had been months, he'd thought it was a once off thing.

"Sammy?"

"I want this Dean. I love you and I liked this when we..." Sam assured him and Dean nodded as he once again prepared Sam gently.


"Hey Stella." Dean called as they walked into the diner and she waved them towards their usual booth. They got comfortable and a while later their food was delivered.

"How are you boys doing?"

"Great." Sam told her, smiling as he took a sip of his Coke.

"I don't know how you boys eat like this and keep your figures." She shook her head and Dean laughed. But his smile faded as she headed towards the kitchen.

"Dean?" Sam asked and Dean sighed.

"We've been here how long Sammy and we haven't aged?" Dean pointed out and Sam looked down sadly.

"You're saying we have to move on soon?"

"Yeah."


Dean paused on their walk around their new area and took off running so Sam took off after him, both of them running full speed through the trees until they reached the lake where a man could be seen thrashing desperately. "Help him!" Dean yelled, ripping his clothes off and then diving into the water. Sam stripped on the fly and forced himself to move in the water even as his body was transforming. He grabbed the man and felt him struggling to breath so he sealed his lips over the mans and breathed into his mouth, the man gasping as Sam used one hand to hold his head still as he swam for shore. Once close enough he broke the surface and heaved the man into the shallow water before submerging his gills again. Sam watched the man cough and choke and then sit up and Sam froze in horror as he stared at his Dad.

John coughed and choked before sitting up and spitting out water, freezing as he stared into hazel eyes almost submerged in the water. He knew those eyes so well….. "Sammy?" He breathed and then figure submerged. "Sam!"

"John? You okay?" Bobby demanded as he ran over only to see John staggering up and trying to head back into the water. Bobby grabbed him and pulled him back.

"No! Sammy! Please…Sam come back." John yelled, fighting against Bobby's hold.

Sam and Dean could hear him as they floated in the water, the monster's decaying body floating to the bottom. Sam flinched at the pain and desperation in his Dad's voice and looked at Dean. Dean smiled and nodded.

'It's okay Sam, I'll stay here, back you up if you need it. He's your Dad, hunter or not.' Dean told him and Sam stared in shock before nodding and swimming to the surface.

"Damn it John, Sam's dead, whatever it is its' messing with you." Bobby argued and then watched as the water rippled and a dark head of hair surfaced and then very familiar hazel eyes.

John ripped free of Bobby and waded into the water, the figure moving back and John stopped. "Sammy?" He called, reaching out with a hand and the figure stopped. "Sam is…is it really you?" John whispered and the half submerged head nodded, cautiously moving closer, a hand coming out of the water to reach towards John's extended hand. Their fingers brushed and John gripped the hand, tugging and Sam came a little higher in the water, staring at John with fearful eyes. "Sammy...say something son." John pleaded and Sam opened his mouth but what came out sounded more like a dolphin than anything human and Sam slammed his mouth shut, trying to pull away. But John refused to let him, managing to tug him into shallow enough water that John could drop to his knees and wrap his arms around his son.

Sam didn't know what to do as he felt his Dad's arms wrap around him. He could understand him but he couldn't speak like a human in his current form. His gills were barely covered and he was terrified his Dad would pull away if he saw them or his tail.

"John." Bobby hissed in alarm when he heard the noises Sam or the creature that looked like him made but John was ignoring him, convinced it was his son.

John held still as a wet hand left the water to touch his face, smiling shakily at his son. He didn't know what had happened to him but he knew Sam had saved him, Sam knew him still. "Sammy what happened to you?" He whispered and Sam bit his lip before pointing to the shore and John frowned. "You want me to help you out?" He asked and Sam nodded. John nodded and pulled and then Sam helped and they were on shore, Sam beside him. He sat up and stared in shock as Sam's tail slammed against the ground as he gasped for air. "Sam!" He called in alarm, going to move Sam back into the water but then he watched in awe as scales morphed into flesh, leaving two legs. He looked at Sam's throat and saw gills fade as Sam's breathing evened out. "Sam?"

Sam rolled over and moved to crouch, covering himself even as he stared at his Dad. "Dad." Sam whispered, pushing his wet hair off his face.

"Sammy…..it's really…." John stammered and Sam nodded nervously.

"It's me Dad." Sam answered, looking between the two men anxiously. John reached a hand toward him and Sam took it, letting John pull him to his feet, his free hand moving to cover himself until John took off his over shirt and handed it over so Sam wrapped it around his waist.

"This is impossible…we burned your body." Bobby stated and Sam saw the knife in his hand.

"It wasn't me Bobby. It's a really long story but it's me…..it was me at your house too." Sam admitted, shifting fretfully. John studied him and then moved closer, pulling Sam into his arms and Sam hugged him back. "I'm so sorry Dad; I never meant to hurt you." Sam sobbed as he clung to him.

Bobby watched the two, not sure what to think as the creature clung to John. Could it really be Sam? Bobby thought about what they'd seen, the dull grey scales banded with brilliant green, the gills…..there were a few creatures he could be.

"Sammy…..I'm so sorry. I should have done so much differently." John choked out and Sam hugged him, holding his Dad easily with his greater strength.

"It's okay Dad, its okay." Sam whispered as John clung to him.

"How did this happen Sam? What….what are you?" John asked and Sam flinched. "Sammy…..I…you saved me. You're still you, aren't you?" John asked and Sam nodded.

"I'm me….I've never hurt anyone, don't really go around people anymore." He admitted and then glanced at the water.

"You're not alone." Bobby stated and Sam stiffened but then shook his head.

"He took care of the thing while I pulled Dad from the water." Sam answered.

"Is he like you?" John asked and Sam nodded.

"Sort of, some differences." Sam tilted his head as if listening to something they couldn't hear. "He'll come out if you want to meet him." He offered and John nodded. "Dean." Sam called and a blonde head emerged from the water followed by intense yet curious green eyes. The man swam for shore and Sam reached down to help him onto the shore and they watched as he changed to human much quicker and more smoothly than Sam had. "Dad, Bobby this is Dean." Sam introduced and the man stood up, revealing a compact, muscled form several inches shorter than Sam.

"Hello." Dean greeted them, moving closer to Sam who wrapped an arm around his waist, using his body to block Dean's groin from view. Bobby and John both stared at the move, seeing the closeness between them and the way Sam was protecting the older looking male.

John realised that his son was with this Dean and tried to decide how he felt about that. In the end he decided he didn't care, Sam was alive and healthy looking, that was all that mattered. John watched the two look at each other and then Dean nodded.

"We've got a place if you want to come…." Dean offered. John nodded immediately but Bobby was more wary. The two younger looking males led them through the trees, gathering their discarded clothes and pulling their pants on as they walked. A house soon appeared and Dean jogged up to open the door, letting them in. John and Bobby looked around the living room curiously, taking in the shelves full of books, worn but cosy furniture scattered around. Sam sat on the couch and they sat opposite him. Dean squeezed Sam's hand and then left the room so they could talk, figuring it would be safer if he wasn't around for the talk.

Sam watched Dean go and then stared at the floor, not sure how to start. He'd never thought he'd have to explain his life over the last several years to his family. So far his Dad seemed to accept he wasn't human anymore but was that just shock? Would he….would he try to kill him later?

"Sam?" John called and Sam looked up at them, chewing his lip nervously like he had since he was a kid. "Sam please….why didn't you call me, why let us think…." John whispered and Sam looked away again. "Sam….."

"Because until you saw me at Bobby's I didn't remember you or anything of my life." Sam whispered and they both stared at him in shock. John got up and sat beside him, pulling Sam into his arms. Sam stiffened but then hugged back.

"You forgot everything?" Bobby asked and Sam nodded, leaning into his Dad's side.

"Knew my name was Sam, that was it." He answered.

"Was it….."

"Part of my 'transformation'? Yeah." Sam picked at a loose thread in his jeans.

"Sam there are several….beings with tails and gills. Which one…."

"Merman, I'm a merman now." Sam confessed softly, not looking at them. Bobby relaxed a bit at that, merpeople weren't considered threats to humans; they very rarely interacted with humans at all.

"But how?" John asked shakily.

"The hunt we were on…..you sent me to search the beach. I met a man there, we talked…I never noticed what he was doing. He showed me some caves the police had missed….I went back; I thought it was my idea but it wasn't." Sam whispered.

"The man, he was what we were hunting wasn't he?" John asked and Sam nodded.

"We were hunting a Siren, I never noticed…..the accident was staged, the body wasn't me. He took some of my hair and made the man look like me. Made him drive my car into the gas pump. By that point…I was unconscious and changing."

"Did it hurt?" John asked and Sam shook his head.

"I didn't feel anything; I slept through the whole thing. I woke up when it was done and didn't remember anything except my name was Sam. The Siren was there, holding me and I trusted him instantly. We were bound together, I obeyed anything he said…..I stayed in the cave all the time, most of the time in the water. He came and went, brought in various things for me like chocolate cake. I have a serious sweet tooth now. It was all new and exciting to me and he was so….gentle and kind. He took me out to the waterfront, obviously trying to get me used to people and I freaked out the first few times." Sam blushed in embarrassment at that.

"Oh Sam." Bobby whispered and Sam smiled at him.

"I'm okay Bobby." Sam assured him, not wanting to go on but he knew he had to. He just didn't want them to try to hurt Dean when he was done.

TBC…

BTW, has anyone kept track of how many years Sam has been 'dead'?