I technically wrote this first chapter, and had posted it here on FFNet, back in 2012 (according to my Tumblr archive, when I had done a post announcing the fic in response to someone's reblog of my "Cas should live with the US Being Human characters" post). Unfortunately, I never got around to finishing the story, and ended up removing it from the site a couple of years ago (I'm pretty sure it was in was 2014) when I was purging some unfinished fics that I didn't see myself ever completing. By that point Being Human (US/Syfy series) was wrapping up with a satisfying ending and I was really pleased with the writing on Supernatural at the time, so my drive to continue this story fizzled out.

But as soon as I deleted it off this site, I regret the decision (thank goodness I kept it saved on my computer). The story's been on the back of mind ever since then, and since I've been in more of a writing mood lately I decided to re-upload it and hope to be more attentive to it this time around. I've have the story planned out in my head this whole time, and now I've got more of a drive to work on it. I'm not going to make any promises over how fast or how frequent this little story will be updated though, so please be patient with me!

Hope everyone enjoys it!

The morning sun didn't shine in the sky for too long before its bright rays rained down on Josh's upturned face, tearing him out of his dead slumber.

The familiar feel of dirt and blood coating his body helped to remind him why he was outside in the first place, and he groaned in his discomfort while he stretched out his sore muscles. Would it kill his wolf-side to restrain itself once in a while? For just one night, could the untamable beast simply run wild and not get itself covered in gore and filth before settling down for the month-long sleep? "No, of course not..." He mused grumpily, keeping his eyes closed for just another moment longer. "It would make the horror-show that is now my life a little more bearable, and god knows I'm not allowed to have that!"

The typical sounds of birds whistling and grass shifting in the light breeze helped soothe nerves as the young man reluctantly opened his eyes, but that tranquility was short lived as soon as he turned his head to glance at the blurred mass he had noticed beside him. Shock quickly took over as his post-wolf disorientation cleared, and he realized that what he was looking at was the naked body of a seemingly lifeless man. "Holy shi-!"

Bolting upright and instinctively scooting back a little, Josh stared down at the stranger. Taking in all the details as he tried to calm down and assess the situation. The guy was naked, clean-shaven, sporting short-messy black hair…and lying face-down as the light waves of the reservoir washed onto the shore. Once it registered in his mind that the man's face was half-submerged in the water, he was quick to react!

Grabbing at the stranger's shoulder and gently turning him over, he checked for a pulse and for signs of breathing. Letting out a sigh of relief, once he was certain that the man was alive, he slipped back into doctor-mode and checked for any signs of injury. Perplexed when there was none to be found.

Aside from being unconscious, his patient seemed to be perfectly healthy.

"Hey, can you hear me?" As he shook the man's shoulder, Josh took a quick glance at his surroundings. Hoping that it was still early enough in the morning that no one was hiking yet, and that the rangers posted around the reservoir and the protected land around it weren't already making their rounds. He had a nagging feeling that his window of escape was narrow and closing quickly. "You need to wake up, pal. We can't stay here much longer if we want to avoid trouble and lots of hard to answer questions."

An exhausted groan answered him, as the stranger shifted beneath his fingertips. Tired blue eyes blinked open to meet his own. They soon grew wide with confusion.

"I'm just as curious about you, as you probably are about me." Josh quipped as he offered his hand to the man to help him onto his wobbly feet, taking hold of his shoulder again to help him remain steady. "But if we stick around here, out in the open like this, someone's going to spot us." He looked around again, and sniffed at the air. "I recognize this part of the reservoir from yesterday when I was scouting this place out. My stuff should be nearby, unless someone found them. Why don't we head there first while you clear your head, and then we can try and sort this all out?"

Remaining silent, and apparently a bit disoriented, the stranger merely nodded his head in agreement. Following Josh's lead as they made their way into the woods, while the younger man started letting his own troubled thoughts plague him.

Had he wounded or killed any humans during his wild night in the unfamiliar woods?

Was his car still going to be right where he had left it when it broke down the day before?

Was he going to find a ticket on the windshield?

Was he going to be able to find someone with a working phone to call for help?

Was this stranger he had stumbled across really okay?

He glanced again at the man walking beside him, as the only logical theory he could think of popped into his mind. It bothered him that he didn't put two and two together back at the reservoir; he of all people should have known better and recognized the signs. "Was this your first time turning?"

A look of puzzlement crossed his companion's face, as the man returned his gaze. Tilting his head the way a curious dog or cat would do. "I don't understand what you mean by that."

"Oh, um…" Josh was surprised by how gruff the other man's voice was, but the stranger's confusion was to be expected if last night really was the first time he had run wild. After all, it had taken him a while to warm up to the outlandish idea after his first change. "Well, what do remember about last night?"

"Nothing."

"Okay…" Perhaps that wasn't the best question to open up the discussion with; he didn't always remember the experience of turning if he wanted to be honest with himself. "…Nothing wrong with that. That's actually pretty normal, so you shouldn't worry about it!" He quickly reassured, despite the fact that the other man seemed oddly calm about the whole thing. "So…do you happen to remember getting attacked by an animal last month?"

"I…" There was a pause, as uncertainty crept its way into his companion's tone. "…don't recall anything before you woke me on the shore."

This made Josh stop in his tracks, completely baffled. That was not the sort of answer he had been expecting to hear. "What do you mean?"

The stranger's eyes pierced deep into his own, as if they were looking into his very soul. "I have no knowledge of my life."

"Oh, wow. This can't be happening. He's gotta be screwing with me or something, because that's just too cruel to be true." But those expressive blue eyes told Josh otherwise. He could read them just as easily as he suspected this unusual man could read his. They were full of fear and unease, and they bore into him in an incredibly overwhelming manner. Studying him, assessing him, and silently beseeching him for help.

"This turn that you referred to…" The man began to question, breaking the eye contact and composing himself surprisingly well for someone who seemed to have lost everything. "…is it common for the individual to experience this sort of memory loss?"

"No." Josh was forced to admit, feeling even sorrier for the stranger. "Not as far as I know anyway."

"I see." Disappointment flickered momentarily across his companion's face, although he did his best to contain his sure-to-be-boiling inner turmoil. Then, to the young man's surprise, he began to walk forward again. "Is your camp much further ahead?" He had apparently opted to focus on their original goal, instead of his own unfortunate dilemma.

"Uh…no. I think it's just another half a mile or so."

They continued on in silence. The stranger keeping his eyes trained straight ahead, while Josh stole glances at him that varied from lingering curiosity, to pity, and then genuine concern.

What was going to happen once they found his things anyway?

If this had indeed been the odd man's first time changing, as he had suspected it very well could be, then there was probably no backup supply stashed anywhere in the forest for him to use. "He looks like he's about the same size as me…" Josh was willing to re-wear his clothes from the day before if that was the case. He really wanted to help the guy, even if it was as something as small as giving him some spare clean clothes.

But he knew that wasn't going to be enough…

"I really don't feel right about going back home while you're stuck out here wondering who you are." Josh confessed when he spotted the tree he had buried his bag of things under, walking a little faster in his eagerness to clean up. "So…why don't you come home with me?"

It was the stranger's turn to look surprised. He tilted his head again, just like he had done earlier, and stared into the younger man's eyes. "We've only just met, why would you offer to do such a thing?"

"Because you could use the help," Josh replied. He thought back on his early days as a werewolf; before Aidan had befriended him, back when everything had gone so horribly wrong. He remembered how badly he had needed the help then, and knew he would have appreciated getting it even if it had been from a complete stranger. "…and god knows you need it more than I ever did."

The other man remained silent at first, keeping his eyes locked fiercely with Josh's for what felt like an eternity. And then he blinked, and time resumed with its normal flow. "Your hospitality is very generous..." His face softened, and a small yet grateful smile emerged. "Thank you."

The smile was returned. "That's what friends are for."