Back in their motel room, Sam sat at the small table and pulled out his laptop. He figured it couldn't help to do a bit of research - however well that works out. He wished, for probably the hundredth time, that he could call Bobby. Something told him Bobby would have at least an idea of siren lore, if there were any. Something better than whatever random stories Google spits out anyway.

He looked up to see Dean pacing between the table and the bathroom. "Are you sure you don't want to leave?"

His brother stopped in his tracks, whirling around to glare at him. "Are you serious?"

"I just...I want to make sure this is your decision." Sam knew it, he just felt a little devil's advocate would help secure that knowledge for both of them.

"Sammy..." the other started and then waved an angry hand at him before plopping down on the end of the nearest bed. "It's my fault. If I hadn't pushed her-"

"Lance would have taken her out," Sam cut him off. "You didn't know," he tossed in for good measure.

"It doesn't matter," Dean said with a shack of his head. "It happened. I did it. And no - my mind is not clouded by sireny sing-songy...whatever!"

"Ok. Ok. But...what do you honestly think we can do?" Sam looked at his big brother with a bit of a plea in his voice. "I don't know about you, but I can't remember the last time I was in a swimming pool, much less taking a dip in an ocean. Their sirens, Dean. I doubt their going to wander up to the shore to do...whatever they're going to do."

Dean groaned, his head falling into his arms over his lap. "I know. I know..."

He sat that way for a moment and Sam could practically feel the tension fading in the room. But then Dean looked up, a very serious look on his face when he turned to his brother.

"What I do know - I won't let her face it alone." He paused, his gaze drifting out the window. "No one should face death alone."

They thought it best to stick close to Nell, in case their suspicions were wrong and maybe one of incoming sirens did just come on shore and...take her out. Sam had run into Meg just outside the bar later that day and asked where Nell worked. Figured that was better than asking where she lived. He didn't want to freak the older woman out. She let him know that Nell worked at a coffee-slash-bookshop a few blocks away.

So they meandered over there. Just to have Nell come out after a bit. She didn't leave the sidewalk outside the shop. Just stood there and glared at them through the windshield of the Impala.

They took the hint.

The next logical choice was the beach. The evening carried on with the overcast dreary skies and the car park next to the boat launch was empty. Just a couple of cars parked on the outer edge. Dean figured they were folks that had wandered out else where, taking advantage of the open parking. He wasn't too concerned with them. The more concerning thought was of the sea air messing with Baby. But...need's must, he supposed.

After a few hours, Sam offered to stay if Dean wanted to go grab dinner and come back. Then with dinner eaten and gone, it was a decision of whether or not they would be sleeping in the Impala or heading back to the motel. Dean had thrown out the argument that they weren't not used to camping out in the car, so what difference would this trip make. Sam wanted to argue that they had a perfectly good motel room to go back to, as opposed to most of the times they had slept in the car, but decided against it. Instead, he switched to the backseat, telling Dean he could take the first watch.

The morning brought with it rolling fog and the promise of more rain, even with the lateness of their waking. It was hard to make anything out beyond the edge of the boat launch, which didn't make for a great stake out. If that really was what they were doing. It was really just the logical thinking that the incoming threat would aim for where the signal came from that had them still sitting there, staring out into the gray.

Dean volunteered to stand in the gloom while Sam grabbed breakfast, with the assurance that breakfast would involve something with a great deal of bacon. Sam just rolled his eyes as he drove off.

It wasn't that bad, he had to admit. The fog floating out with the tide as the morning warmed up ever so slightly. He was comfortable in the light jacket he was wearing, sitting there at a picnic table and watching the water. A few gulls dove around, searching for their own breakfast. A slight wind blowing from through the woods to the left and out over the water seemed like the only thing keeping the sun's rays from hitting too close to the beach.

He heard the wheels behind him, but didn't bother turning around. He figured his brother wouldn't mind stretching his legs as well and the table was just fine for a hunter's on-the-go breakfast.

When Nell was the one that sat beside him, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He knew they'd get caught eventually. But he also knew she'd see they were serious about not leaving.

She handed him a styrofoam cup, the strong encouraging smell of coffee coming out of it. "I already gave Sam an earful. He's waiting for me to give you yours before he brings your food."

Dean took the cup, taking a small sip and somewhat enjoying the burn on his tongue. It was like an extra warning that he should watch what he said. "Go ahead."

"Is there any point?"

"Nope."

"Yeah... That's what Sam said."

The brother in question appeared on the other side of the table, setting down one in front of Dean before taking his seat with the other. "So did you just guess we were here?" he asked as he opened his tray.

"It was the logical choice. But no, it was Earl that sold you out." She smiled to herself. "He likes to wander the beach late at night. Says it helps him sleep. He noticed you guys sleeping in the car, recognized you from the diner yesterday. Came into the the shop this morning talking about my guy friends in the fancy black car."

"Damn Earl..." Dean joked between bites.

"Yeah, well...he was concerned. Such a fancy car, looking so nice, but no money for a bed?" She nudged Dean with her elbow. "You have to admit...it's pretty unusual."

"We strike you as the usual?" he asked mockingly incredulous.

She just laughed. Before long, her gaze drifted out to the water.

The brothers ate their breakfast in a content silence as the fog slowly burned off.

"So what are we looking at?" Dean eventually asked, tossing his fork in the tray and snapping it shut. "The whole pod? How many...in a pod?"

"It won't be the whole pod," Nell said absentmindedly, still staring out at the water. "Just a few - three or four. Select group, specifically chosen by the council."

"And we're sure there's no negotiating this? No way to explain..." He drifted off. She didn't answer right away and he looked to his brother who just shrugged.

"It wouldn't make a difference," she eventually replied. She finally turned her gaze away from the water. "Old laws are the best laws, right?" She gave them a smirk. "Besides, what's to explain. I knew the risk."

Dean went to argue but got a kick from Sam under the table. When he turned to glare at his brother, Sam just shook his head subtly. Wasn't worth it.

They sat, eventually finding random topics to discuss. She asked about the different kinds of things they've encountered. They asked which of the more popular theories about sirens were true. They talked about the different places they had lived in or visited, her destinations a good deal more varied than theirs.

It was creeping into late afternoon, and Sam was just about to offer to run and grab a quick lunch for everyone, when the sky started to darken with obvious rain clouds.

"There's no stories about sirens controlling the weather, right?" Dean asked skeptically, gazing up at the quickly darkening sky.

"Maybe it's just localized coincidence..." Sam suggested.

Dean turned to ask Nell, but she had stood and was staring blankly at a point a ways out in the water. "Hey... What is it?" He turned and tried to find what she was seeing. Sam joined them, turning completely in his seat to look out.

"It's Neri..." The comment was so quiet, the brothers almost missed it in the growing wind.

"Neri?" Sam repeated. "Your sister? Your sister is here?" She just nodded.

"Wait - are you telling us your kid sister is one of the selected members of the...assassination squad?!" Dean sputtered angrily.

"Makes sense," she said blandly with a shrug. "Either they know we've communicated - however sporadically. Or they just want to ensure her allegiance to the pod."

"Alright. These guys are really starting to piss me off." Dean practically jumped off his seat. Sam reached over to grab the styrofoam trays before they blew away. As Dean charged to the Impala, Sam took the trash to the nearest can.

"Dean..." Nell called after him as he yanked the trunk open. The rain was starting now, sprinkling at first but getting stronger. "There's nothing you can do."

He pulled out the bazooka, turning to her with a mischievous grin. "You sure about that?"

She grabbed the large gun from him and tossed it none too gently back in the trunk. "My sister is with them. I won't let you hurt her."

"Nell...she's here to kill you." He grabbed her shoulders, barely holding back on the urge to physically shake some sense into her. Sam reached them, ready to step in should...well, either of them felt the need to end the argument with a bit more permanence.

She just laughed, quiet but verging on manic. "It's funny really. Neri... Nereida. It means 'from the sea'... My parents knew she would be the perfect lil siren. Which I should have been upset about, since I was the oldest."

She seemed to wilt under Dean's hands, so he kept them there. If she wanted the support. He knew he needed it.

"And you...?" Sam quietly asked, encouraging the calm chatter in only the way he could.

"Nell... Short for Penelope. Do you know what Penelope means?"

"Penelope was the name of Odysseus' wife, wasn't it?"

"A queen, she was... It means weaver. Solid. Sturdy. The name of proud and strong women." She gave that same laugh again. "It also means duck."

"Duck?" Sam parroted.

"Yeah, duck. And what's a duck?"

"A...bird..." Dean replied hesitantly.

She looked up at him with a smile on her lips, but not quite reaching her eyes. "A water fowl. Comfortable on land as much as it is in water." She shook her head. "Like they knew...from the very beginning."

As the rain really started pouring she shifted from under Dean's hold on her shoulders and stood facing the water.

"She's calling out to me. Begging me to run."

"So run." Dean stepped in front of her. "There's still time. We can...figure out...something out..."

She just gave him that same sad smile. He was really getting tired of seeing it.

"You know what the worst part is?" she asked, looking up at him.

"What?" Sam replied when his brother didn't.

"I get to swim again. For just a little bit, I get to feel the water all around me. It's been nearly a hundred years..."

She walked out towards the water's edge, the brothers following her just a step behind. Through the falling rain, they could just barely make out a few bobbing heads probably about 200 yards from them.

Sam wanted to ask so many questions - did she recognize anyone else other than Neri? What exactly was going to happen? Was there any sort of ceremony or ritual to this? But as each hit the tip of his tongue he would swallow it quickly. This wasn't that kind of learning experience, was it.

Dean just stared. He had done a quick recon as they walked, but there were no boats nearby. And Sam was right, even if they managed to swim out there, they were out of their depth - literally. So he just stared. Fighting with his strongest glare was all he could muster.

"I do appreciate it," Nell said softly, and they knew it was time. "Truly. Never thought I'd meet a hunter I didn't want to strangle. Much less two." The statement had an audible grin to it, even if they couldn't see it through the rain.

She knelt down to untie her shoes, slipping them and her socks off. Dean was somewhat surprised to see green scales, starting a half way up her calf, and continuing down to her toes. There was an extra almost fin like piece hanging a few inches above each ankle as well. And he was positive, even though he couldn't see it because they were tucked into the sand, that her toes were probably webbed.

He nudged Sam with his elbow and nodded down towards them. Sam gazed down curiously. They both looked up, embarrassed to know they definitely got caught, as Nell turned around to them.

She just smiled. "Forgot Waterhouse. He got it right on the nose. And I swatted him with the lyre after the fact."

Their farewell was the same as in the diner parking lot the day before. A kiss and a hug. But it all had so much more finality to it.

And then she was walking out into the water. Just like that. Calm and collected. Head held not necessarily high but definitely not bowed. The Winchesters watched her, standing on the beach in the rain. They saw her glide through the water and both of them could see the joy in her movements.

She reached the small group thought he could see her glance to the figure to the far right for just a moment before turning sharply to the other three. That must be Neri, he couldn't help but think. And he knew her look away wasn't in anger that her sister was there. It was more so that she didn't want her to see. Didn't want her there. But that wasn't the case.

Before they knew it, all five figures dived below the water. Everything was still. For a moment, it felt like the rain itself was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen. The water was still, aside from the pattering of rain drops. No movement.

And then four heads resurfaced, before three turned away. Sam could see the one on the right, the one he was now sure was Neri, turn to look back at them. Or maybe just the beach itself, before turning and joining the other three.