Disclaimer: There is no better way to say no than by saying yes backwards.

A/N: It's me again! Miss me? Haha... ok, so I'm bored. I got another one shot for you all tonight that's a request one, but before I get into that, I have some bad news. I am but a very poor University student, and alas the worst has come; I can no longer afford my internet. Bad luck laced with a little more bad luck has made this happen, and so on the 7th (Thursday), my internet will be cut off. So next Wednesday will be the last day I'll be posting for a long while unless some sort of miracle happens. I'll try and post something each day until then (including a death fic I did many a months ago), so I hope you all will enjoy.
Ok-- so with this one shot. It was a request fic from a while ago that sparked my interest-- a sort of what if for in season one in the episode 'Dead in the Water'. At the end the Sheriff gives himself up to the spirit to save Lucas. The request was a story written where what if when the spirit was dragging the Sheriff down, he grabbed onto Sam to try and save himself, and dragged him down too? I gave it my best, and I hope you enjoy!

Title: Knocking on Heaven's Door
Genre: Pretty suspensful and angsty
Summary: Dean surfaces the water with Lucas clutched in his arms, but when he looks around... he realizes Sam didn't come back up.

Knocking on Heaven's Door

Dean burst through the surface of the water with a surge of adrenaline. Lucas' still body was clutched tightly in his arms as he gasped in a breath of fresh air.

"No!" Andrea shrieked loudly, lunging at the end of the dock for her son.

"It's ok," Dean panted as he felt Lucas shift in his arms, "He's ok, he's alright!"

"Lucas," tears fell down Andrea's face as she pulled Lucas fully onto the dock.

The young boys eyes fully opened and he took a deep quivering breath as Andrea clutched her son close. Dean watched for a few moments as he struggled to catch his own breath, and it was only as he looked around for the whereabouts of his brother that he noticed Sam was nowhere in sight.

"Sam," Dean muttered before looking at Andrea, "Hey! Where's Sam?"

Andrea's eyes scanned around, "I-I don't know."

"Sam!" Dean turned frantically in the water, "Sammy!"

"H-he was trying to help Dad last time I saw him," Andrea choked out.

"Oh God," Dean breathed swimming to the area that he'd seen the spirit pull Sheriff Devins down to his death, "Sammy!"

Still no answer.

"He's still under there?!" Andrea cried out still clutching Lucas.

"I don't know," Dean breathed, praying that he wasn't.

Without another word to the discussion, Dean took a deep breath and dove into the far from warm water. Everything was dark and murky, and Dean struggled to see any sign of Sam in the water. His lungs burning, Dean swung his arms down bellow him frantically and refused to surface until he found his brother.

'Come on Sammy!' Dean's mind screamed.

Finally the tip of Dean's finger's brushed up against something that felt like material. Frantically he pulled himself down towards the person and saw, in the dim light still seeping through the surface, that it was Sam. His heart skipped a beat though as his little brother's eyes were closed and lifeless, and when Dean attempted to pull him back up to the surface, he wouldn't move.

'What the hell!' Dean scrambled through the darkness to try and figure out what was holding Sammy under the water.

It only took a second, though it seemed like hours for Dean to realize that something was clasping tightly around Sam's arm. Dean's first instinct was that it was the spirit, though realized quickly that it was a human hand holding onto Sam.

'Devins,' Dean realized with a start, 'You son of a bitch, let him go!'

His head spinning with the lack of oxygen Dean struggled to free his little brother's arm, it finally coming loose with one final tug. Fear pulsing through him, Dean squeezed tight onto Sam and struggled to get to the surface.

'It's been way too long!' the frantic thought pounded through Dean's mind, 'Please Sammy! Please be ok!'

Dean remembered when they were little they used to have a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest. It was slightly frowned upon from their Dad as Dean passed out one time and smacked his jaw against the dining room table. Sam always won the contest, and Dean prayed now that would hold true, and that maybe Sam would be alright.

"Help me!" Dean burst out as he surfaced from the water.

"Oh God," Andrea gasped jumping down the shore and quickly wading out.

Sam's six-foot-four body was dragged limply ashore by Andrea and Dean as Lucas watched on; his eyes wide.

"Sam," Dean bent down to his brother's still form, "Sammy!"

Lucas walked down his Mom who put an arm around his waste, "It's ok honey. It's ok."

"No, no, no," Dean's heart hammered in his chest as he turned Sam's body onto its side, "C'mon Sam!"

Sam's body remained deadly still and with a strong jab, Dean smacked his brother's back. Instantly a loud cough escaped though Sam's mouth as water garbled out.

"Sam? Sam!" Dean rubbed Sam's back as Sam coughed viciously onto the ground beside him, "That's it Sammy."

Sam's whole body convulsed as he spit and choked up water onto the ground. Dean continued to rub and pat Sam's back gently as he whispered reassurances. Finally the convulsions stopped, and Sam slowly rolled back over onto his back.

"Is he ok?" Andrea whispered, holding once again onto Lucas.

"I don't know," Dean admitted turning his gaze back onto his brother whose eyes were once again closed, "Hey Sammy? Can you hear me?"

Deep rattling breaths came from Sam's body as slowly he nodded his head. Dean let out a breath he never realized he was holding as he moved himself around Sam's body to get a better view of his face.

"Sammy, open your eyes for me," Dean requested.

Breath still coming in deep pants Sam opened his eyes and stared up at the sky and trees. The effort of even turning his head was too much for the younger brother as he tried to clear his head and remember what had happened. He remembered diving in the water to try and help Lucas, and then saw the Sheriff wadding in as a sacrifice. On his second dive under, Sam tried to help him, but the Sheriff had grabbed Sam's arm in a feeble attempt to save himself.

The hunter didn't remember much after that.

"Sam," Dean's voice was soft, "Can you sit up?"

Sam held up a shaky hand, "…help…"

Trying to will his heart back to a normal pace, Dean grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him into a sitting position. Once up, Sam let out another cough and spit a mouthful of water onto the ground beside him. Slowly Sam took deep breaths, and squeezed Dean's arm in an attempt to calm himself down.

"Just breath Sammy," Dean remained crouched in front of his brother, "Take your time."

Sam nodded and took the advice as he watched the water drip down from his hair. His chest felt tight and he could still feel water inside with each breath he took, but the more he breathed, the better he felt. Finally he felt secure enough to let go of Dean.

"You ok Sam?" Dean put a hand on the side of Sam's jaw and turned his face up towards him, "Are you alright?"

"I think so," Sam confirmed.

Dean breathed deep as he ran his hand over his own face. A moment of silence enveloped everyone there before a voice spoke up.

"It was Dad wasn't it?" Andrea's strangled, tear-filled whisper came from behind Sam.

Sam turned around to face her and was about to answer when Dean cut in, "No. No, it wasn't. It was the spirit; I guess in the heat of everything it grabbed Sam too."

A small amount of relief seemed to wash over Andrea's face, and Dean placed a silent hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Think you can walk Sammy?" Dean asked and smiled at the aggravated look Sam shot out at the word choice.

Sam nodded and weakly stood to his feet as Andrea lifted up Lucas in her arms. Dean grabbed under Sam's armpit to stop his little brother from toppling backwards, and helped him walk along the gravel to the grass.

"You sure you're ok?" Dean questioned as Andrea walked further up ahead.

"Yeah," Sam spoke quietly, "But… why? It was the Sheriff, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Dean confirmed as he watched Andrea hold close to her son, "But who wants to remember their Dad as a coward?"

The End.