Supernatural Rarepair Shipfest 2012

“Anna, how many times must I warn you? Humans are dangerous!” Zachariah frowned, swimming back and forth in front of his daughter in short, angry circles. “Do you have any idea what would happen to you if they saw you?”

“But they won’t see me! They never do! I do this all the –“ Anna bit off her words, but it was too late. Zachariah’s eyes flared wide with fury, but then his expression softened. Moving forward, he cupped his daughter’s cheek with his hand.

“I only want what’s best for you. I want to keep you safe. Promise me you won’t go near the shore again, and no more swimming alongside ships. You’re a princess.”

Anna lowered her eyes and nodded sullenly. They had this argument often, and Anna always tried to obey her father, but she was fascinated by the men she saw on the ships, or walking along the beach.

Walking. Something she would never be able to do.

Her father left her, and Anna swam away from the palace. When she was sure no one was following her, she kicked hard with her fin and set off for her secret cave.

It was a home away from home, filled with bits and bobbles that had come to rest on the seabed. The wrecks weren’t strictly off-limits, but she was the only one who ever kept souvenirs. Music boxes, mirrors, even an umbrella: Anna had no idea how any of it worked, but it was exotic and wonderful, and she loved to spend her time here, playing and daydreaming. She had so many questions about the world beyond the water, but she knew she’d never be able to ask them. Merpeople were considered bad omens, and if any of the sailors ever saw her, she’d be killed.

Her newest souvenir was from a shipwreck, but this one was special. There had been a man, drowning, and she had saved him. She’d hauled him up to the surface and pulled him to a floating piece of wood, dragging it through the waves until she could be sure he’d reach the shore on his own.

In her struggle to get him out of the water, his necklace had come off. Anna had seen it sinking and caught it with her tailfin, and now she plucked it from the crevice where it had been hidden.

It was a weird thing, dull gold, carved into an ugly face with horns. She couldn’t understand why such a beautiful man would want such a strange amulet, and every time she looked at it now, she thought of his face. For he was beautiful, even with his light brown hair soaking wet and stuck to his forehead, green eyes fluttering open as he’d tried to focus on the shore.

Anna didn’t know his name, so she called him Sam. It was the only word that had come out of his mouth that night, over and over.

“Seems to me you’ve got a problem.”

Anna frowned and tucked the necklace back into its hiding place. She’d done her best to make sure she was alone, but Crowley had a habit of lurking in dark corners and seeming to turn up out of nowhere.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she answered, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

“Come on now, girl. You can’t get that sort of thing past me. I know besotted when I see it, and it’s written on your pretty face.”

Crowley was a different type of merman, known for making deals, often at terrible prices for the other party. Anna couldn’t imagine what he wanted with her, but she was uneasy having him here in her cave.

“I can help you, you know,” he said, absentmindedly playing with the key to a music box.

“Please don’t touch that.” Anna swam forward and Crowley took his hand away, holding it up palm out. “What do you mean, help me?”

“Your prince. Oh yes, he’s a prince, that man you saved. Needs a wife, too. I’ve seen him walking the shoreline, looking for the pretty redhead that saved him life. He thinks you’re an angel.”

Anna blushed, tucking her chin down. She was no angel, but her heart soared to know that he remembered her, and that he was looking for her.

“How can you help?” she asked, biting at her lower lip. This was dangerous, but maybe there was no harm in asking. If she didn’t like the deal, then she didn’t have to sign.

“I can make you human,” Crowley drawled. “Give you legs, feet… all the best bits,” he added with a wink.

“And?” Anna asked skeptically. “Nothing’s ever free with you.”

“Aah, yes, of course. I will be needing a bit of payment. I thought, for something of this stature, that your grace would be a fair trade.”

Anna gasped. A mermaid’s grace was the most important part of her. It was like her soul, it let her live for hundreds of years, and what she had shone to the prince that night in order to help save him. Without it, he would never recognize her.

“I. Please. Anything but that,” she begged.

“Oh, it’s purely temporary,” Crowley reassured her. “Three days, that’s it. If you can convince this prince that you are his angel and the one he loves, then you get it back and you live happily ever after. If you fail, though, I get to keep it and you come back down here.”

Anna knew what happened to merpeople who lost their grace. They were shadows of themselves, dark and aggressive, forever in Crowley’s service. She shuddered at the idea.

“How will I convince him?”

“You’re a pretty girl, memorable hair, plus you’ve got the truth on your side. I wager it will be no problem at all.” Crowley’s smile was slick, and his eyes shone with triumph. He knew he had her.

“Okay,” Anna said with a nod. “Deal.”

Crowley swam to her and put a hand on her chest. She could feel her grace slipping away under his hand. He pressed his lips to hers, and she thrashed and tried to cry out as her fin split in two, forming legs and feet.

“Best hurry now,” he crooned. “It would be a shame to drown before you even get to meet him.”

Anna swam with all her strength towards the surface, fighting against her brand new lungs as they struggled to take in air that wasn’t there.

She burst onto the surface in a shower of water droplets, gasping and coughing. After a few deep breaths, she felt better, and slowly she made her way to shore.

The prince was there, just as Crowley had said. He was walking slowly, kicking at stones and looking rather sad.

“Help,” Anna croaked. At first he didn’t hear her. “Help!” She tried again, louder, and this time his head turned towards the water.

He rushed out into the waves and slipped his arms under hers, helping her to shore. Anna wasn’t used to her legs, so she stumbled and clung to him desperately, so shaken and frightened that it didn’t occur to her that she was naked.

“Here, sit,” he said, helping her to a sun-warmed rock. “Geez, umm.” He pulled off his shirt and held it out to her, keeping his eyes fixed in the opposite direction.

“Oh. Thank you,” Anna replied, pulling the shirt over her head.

“You look familiar,” the prince said, turning to face her again.

“I’m Anna. I’m the girl who saved you!” She answered with a bright smile.

“I don’t remember you from the ship,” he said, looking her over. He was even more handsome than she had remembered, now that she could see him in the sunshine. “I’m sorry.”

“I wasn’t on the ship,” she said. “I was. Umm. Oh.”

Anna closed her eyes and let her head sink down into her hands. She had no way to explain how she had saved him without revealing who she was.

“I wasn’t on the ship, but I’m the one who rescued you. Please believe me.”

The prince sighed. “Right. Let’s get you some clothes.” He held out his hand, and Anna took it. Even though he was helping her, she could tell that he didn’t believe her.

The prince took her back to the palace, and there she was given clothes and a room, and offered any more assistance she might need. It was clear that everyone thought she was just some lost, confused girl, and that no one believed her when she said that she was the one who had saved their prince.

Walking was nothing like swimming, but Anna thought she could learn to enjoy it, if it meant she could be with her prince. She made her way through the castle, looking for him, only to find him standing on a balcony, looking out at the ocean.

“I don’t know, Sam,” he said, glancing towards the tall man standing beside him. “She seems familiar, and she is beautiful, but I just don’t think she’s the same girl. There’s something missing.”

Anna knew what was missing. Her grace, the light that had shone from her, that had allowed her to give him air and help him to the surface. That was what he remembered, and that was what she had so carelessly given away.

“This is Sam?” She asked cautiously, and both of the men turned. She was warmed to see the prince’s smile when he saw her. “You said his name, like a prayer, when I rescued you. I thought it was your name.”

The prince laughed, soft and understanding. “Sam is my brother. My name is Dean.”

“Dean,” she repeated, smiling.

Sam nodded to her, and turned to go. “Think about it Dean. Maybe it’s enough.”

Sam left them and Anna turned her attention to Dean.

“What did he mean?” She asked, though she hoped she already knew.

“My ship ran aground and all the crew perished except me. I was saved, and I don’t know why. I was saved by a beautiful angel, and if I can find her, then I’m going to marry her. My brother thinks I’m crazy, though.”

“No, you’re not,” Anna reassured him. She moved towards him and laid a hand gently on his arm. “She probably feels the same way about you. Why else would she have saved you? When you find her, I am sure that she will want to marry you as well.”

She spent all day at Dean’s side, and if he thought that her questions about things like pens or shoes were strange, then he never mentioned it. He was funny and charming and very kind, and by the end of the first day Anna was sure that she was in love with him. What she wasn’t sure about was how to convince him that she was the angel he loved. She thought about it all night, tossing and turning, barely sleeping at all.

The next day passed on much the same fashion, but Anna thought she felt a change in Dean. He looked at her for long periods without speaking, as if lost in thought, and then he would just smile softly and look away. He held her hand when they walked through the garden, and when she joined him for dinner he kissed her on the cheek. Anna hoped desperately that he remembered her, that he would kiss her and tell her he loved her, but by the end of the day there was still nothing, even though she was sure they’d grown closer.

The next day was the last, and when she came down to breakfast, there was commotion in the castle. People were rushing to and fro, and everyone was smiling. She watched them running about until she saw Sam, the only other face she recognized.

“Sam! What’s going on?”

He rushed up to her, red-faced and grinning. “She’s here. Dean’s mystery angel. She just turned up this morning. They’re to be married today.”

He ran off before she could ask any more questions, and all she could do was watch him go. It wasn’t possible. She was his angel!

She made her way to Dean’s room, past servants and advisors. There he was, grinning and laughing, embracing a dark-haired woman who was a total stranger.

In the far corner of the room, Crowley stood on his own brand new set of legs, and when the girl stepped away from Dean, Anna saw her grace hanging around the girl’s throat in a vial.

“Hello, Anna, dear,” Crowley called. “Do come in.”

He gave her an awful, toothy grin, and Anna seethed as she stepped into the room. Dean was all smiles, though, and it made her heart hurt to see him.

“You’re just in time! Isn’t this wonderful? Here she is. Anna, meet Meg.”

She girl smiled demurely, but Anna could see in her eyes that she was one of Crowley’s people, without any grace of her own, using Anna’s in order to trick Dean. After all, one of Zachariah’s daughters would be a pretty prize for Crowley.

“No,” Anna said, moving away and shaking her head, overcome by emotion. “No! I’m the one you love, I’m the one who saved you. Can’t you see that?”

“Anna, please, calm down. I know we’ve grown close these last two days, but you’re not my savior.” Dean looked at her with pity in his eyes, and it was more than she could bear.

“Yes I am, and I can prove it!”

She pulled Dean’s necklace out of a pocket in her gown. She’d taken it with her when she’d made her way to the surface, hidden in her palm, clutching it so hard she’d bled where the horns pierced her skin.

Dean stared at the amulet in amazement. “Where did you get this?” he asked, reaching for it even as Anna pulled it away.

“From you, that night. I saved you, and this fell off your neck in the water. Please, Dean. It’s me.”

This time she let him take the amulet. He turned it over slowly in his fingers before slipping it over his neck. In the corner, Crowley frowned.

“Nice of you to return that. Thief.” Everyone’s heads turned to look at Crowley when he spoke. “We had a break in couple nights ago, had some jewelry stolen. I understand that this girl turned up on shore the next morning. Is that right, Dean?”

Now when Dean looked at Anna, it was with scorn, not pity. “You stole this? Why?”

Anna couldn’t find words. She could only shake her head again and again. “No. No no no.”

“Anna, is this true?” Dean demanded, and when she still couldn’t give him an answer, he called for the guards.

Anna surged forward and ripped the necklace from around Meg’s neck. She smashed the vial on the floor, and the room was filled with a brilliant light as the grace returned to its proper owner.

When the light faded, Crowley and Meg were gone, having fled when they saw that their plan was ruined. Dean was shaken and confused, rubbing at his eyes.

Anna was lying on her floor, her legs returned to their original form, though only the end of her fin was visible under her gown.

“I don’t understand,” Dean said, falling to his knees beside her. The guards rushed into the room but Dean waved them off, taking in the sight of Anna returned to her true form.

“I saved you that night. You fell into the water and I pulled you out and got you to safety, Dean. Since then I’ve loved you, and I wanted to be with you, but without my grace you couldn’t see me for who I really was.”

“My angel,” Dean said thickly, tears welling up in his eyes. “But how?”

“Crowley’s magic. Now please, if you care for me at all, you need to get me back to the sea.” Anna could feel herself growing weaker. If she didn’t get to water soon, she would die.

“Anna. My angel. Of course I care for you. I love you.”

Dean leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

True love is more powerful than magic spells and deals, and when they kissed, Anna felt her fin disappear again, her legs returning. She broke the kiss and wiped away Dean’s tears.

“Look!” She exclaimed, feet now sticking out where her fin had been. “You did it. You saved me!”

They were married at sunset on the shoreline. Anna’s entire family was in attendance, watching from the water. Zachariah smiled proudly.