Sam Winchester searched the dark water for his older brother, Dean. So many thoughts ran through his mind as he dove beneath the water again and again. Where was he? Why couldn't he find him? He had to find him, had to find the last real member of his family. His head came up, dragging in a deep breath taking a second to get his bearings.

"Oh no dude," A soft voice said from behind him, wrapping her arms around his upper body dragging him out of the water up on to shore. "Stay here, listen to me you need to stay here."

"My brother." He choked out as he gave into fits of coughing up water. He heard her dive back in and he wondered if he had actually lost everything that he held dear anymore.

Her fingers brushed against soft fabric and clenched around it. She broke the surface raising the heavy head of the person in her arms above the water. She swam as quickly as possible with the dead weight in her arms to shore. She barked, "Cherie, help me."

With trembling hands he pulled his brother up out of the warm, murky water and then helped her up. "Dean?"

She shook her dark hair out of her even darker eyes, "I don't know chere. You need to call an ambulance though. Now."

He fumbled blindly for the coat he had carelessly discarded earlier. He pulled out the cell and dialed 911 as he watched her begin CPR. His body trembled as a breeze floated by.

"State your emergency please." The operator announced in his ear.

"We need an ambulance. My brother's been hurt really bad and he isn't breathing." Sam stammered out.

"Where are you sir?"

He watched their rescuer as she kept administering CPR. "Somewhere in the swamp, I don't know for sure."

She sighed in relief that when the man before her started coughing up water. Gently she tipped his head the side draining it. She heard them move and their bodies hitting the water. They smelled blood; she was surprised that they hadn't smelled it before. "Merde. Where did you park your car?"

"We left it at the hotel. We followed something no someone…" Sam murmured, mentally kicking himself again for the stupidity.

Her mind whirled, what were the chances they'd make it out of the swamp alive? Decent enough under normal conditions, carrying what looked to be almost two hundred pounds of dead weight, next to nil. They had to take that chance if it meant that the two guys would live. "Help me, get one of his arms."

Sam stayed where he was kneeling in the wet sand. They had followed what they had thought was a werewolf into the swamp only to be ambushed, knocked out and shot at.

"We need to get the hell out of here. Don't you hear them coming?" She asked sharply before simply grabbing the phone, "This is Deputy Chiasson. I'm on my way in with two males; ages look to be 22 and 27. One male is down; looks to be shot to the chest, close range to the chest, possibly a broken leg. He was also thrown into the river, swallowed a lot of her. Non responsive, administered CPR and is now conscious. We'll be there in ten minutes tops."

"OK. Thank you Deputy. I'll have the hospital waiting for you."

She hung up the phone and stared at him. "Now help me or else he's dead."

Sam nodded and bent throwing one of his brother's arms around his neck while the much shorter deputy did the same. He prayed fiercely that for once what had attacked them wasn't supernatural, just evil and they were able to bring him down. He also wished with all of his might that Dean would pull through this.

Sam waited and paced the waiting room. The doctors had met them at the door with a gurney, taking Dean away to prep for surgery the minute his bloody body had hit it. So there Sam was his clothes muddy and wet, waiting to hear if his brother would make it through the night at least.

"Chere?" A soft voice said from above him, a voice that seemed to drip with honey with a hint of vinegar.

He looked up and into dark almond shaped eyes filled with concern. His voice was rusty when he asked, "Dean, how is he?"

She shook her head softly. "They haven't come out of surgery yet. Don't worry this is a good hospital, I'm sure he'll be ok."

"Who are you and why are you so nice to me?" He blurted out.

She laughed. "I was wondering when you were going to ask that question. My name is A' Marie Chiasson, I'm a deputy with the sheriff's department. Some of the detectives are here to question you. Are you feeling up to it?"

He shook his head. "I can't… I mean I don't even know for sure what happened."

"What are you doing here Chiasson?" A short black man asked sadistically stepping into the waiting room.

She stood straighter, only coming to the man's shoulders, "I found him. You got a problem with it, Reynolds, oh well. Sorry to tell you though that he's not up to feeling being questioned. Excuse me while I go check with the nurse's station about something."

Reynolds watched her walk out of the room. The little bitch, what did she know about being a cop, she should have been in the kitchen where she belonged, popping out babies. "Tell me what happened."

"I don't really know Detective. My brother and I followed something out there. Next thing we know we're being shot at by something."

"How'd you get away clean?" Reynolds asked cruelly.

Sam's eyes flashed to the door, hoping that A' Marie or a doctor would choose to make an appearance and quickly. "I'm not entirely sure."

"Have you searched the area?" A' Marie asked from behind. "I thought I told you to leave him alone Reynolds?"

"So when do I listen to lowly deputies? Even if her granddaddy is the chief of police."

"Since that said chief of police is on his way here with clothes for your unsaid suspect."

Reynolds gaped at her. Her ability to all but read minds always had him running in the opposite direction. There wasn't something right about her and that scared him to death. He growled and stormed out of the room to talk to a nurse.

"What did you do this time A' Marie?" A gray-haired man asked from the doorway.

"He pissed me off a bit papa. Did you bring the clothes?"

He held up a plastic bag and shot Sam a wary look, "Girl I hope you know what you are doing. Not that I don't trust your instincts but still."

A' Marie laughed and leaned up on tip-toe to kiss her grandfather's cheek, "I love you Papa. Of course I know what I'm doing. I'm doing my job which is why I can't figure out how come you haven't made me a detective yet."

"You are still a little too young cherie."

"Yeah, right. Papa, make Reynolds stay away from him," she said with a jerk of her head toward Sam. "He's really out of it and is waiting for news on his brother. Please papa."

"I can't make him stay way forever but I can make him stay away until the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Her smile widened. "Thank you so much. Tell grandma I love her and that I'll be over for dinner on Sunday. Oh, Papa this is Sam Winchester. Sam this is my grandfather, Chief Fourcade, he's my mother's father."

"A' Marie I hope you realize what it is you are doing. Your grandma and I worry about you. If this one is suspected by Reynolds then he probably has a good reason. Watch out for yourself, most of the department is after you."

Her dark brown eyes narrowed. "I know what I saw out there. I saw a loupe-garou. If Reynolds won't believe me then so be it but I'll protect the innocent at all costs. I took that oath the day I stepped foot in the station."

"Please A' Marie how many times do I have to tell you to speak English? Besides honestly a werewolf, I know you are smarter than that."

"Excuse me if I use a language that I grew up with. It's my life Papa and I'll live it how I choose to. Now go home to grandma and get some sleep. I will see you on Sunday." A' Marie stated forcefully but gently pushing him out of the room.

She turned back to Sam, looping the bag over her wrist. "Come on chere. One of the doctors said that we can use their showers. Come on."

Tenderly she cupped his elbow and pulled him to his feet, steadying him has he swayed. She led him into the doctors' lounge, pushing him into a chair. She cupped his chin in her hand and forced him to look up at her, "I'm going to undress you as weird as it might sound, unless you want me to leave you alone."

He looked up at her, his blue-green eyes glazed over. She saw the pain and felt it strike a chord deep inside, something she hadn't felt in an extremely long time. Quietly she stripped him down to his boxers and led him into the shower.

"I'll be right outside if you need any help ok?" She asked, turning the water on lukewarm and waited for him to nod.

She was just stepping out of the shower when she heard the first strangled cry. Slowly she turned toward him taken aback by the tears that started flowing freely down his scratched cheeks. Her heart went out to him; she knew what he was feeling.

"Hey he's going to be alright." The words sounding so familiar and empty to her own ears, she wished there was more to say.

"How can we be sure? He was protecting me, always protecting me." He choked out, sliding down the shower wall.

Going against what she deemed her better judgment she walked over to him, letting the water fall gently against them. Sitting beside him she casually dropped her head on his shoulder and began singing an old French song her mother had used to calm her. When his sobs began racking his body she did the only thing natural to her, she wrapped her arms around him and held tight.