•𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆• ~𝚂𝚄𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙽𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙰𝙻~

𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐧

I feel like i should put a trigger warning, so here ya'll go😂

John winchester is mentioned a lot in this chapter, and i may make ya'll hate him even more, if that's even possible. Anyway, moving on, enjoy the chapter!❤️

________________________________

Rory looked up as Dean pulled the impala to a stop in front of a gas pump.

"Alright, I figured we'd hit tucumcari by lunch, then hit south, and bisbee by midnight." Dean said, but noticed Sam wasn't paying any attention to him. "Sam wears women's underwear."

"I bet he likes it too." Rory smirked making Dean smirk.

"I'm listening, I'm just busy." Sam stated.

"Busy doing what?" Rory asked as she slid forwards, leaning over the front seat to see Sam's phone.

"Reading emails." Sam answered her.

"That's boring." Rory whined, plopping back down into her seat.

"Emails from who?" Dean asked as he got out of the car, going around the car to the gas pump.

"From my friends at Stanford." Sam said through the rolled down windows.

"You're kidding me? You still keep in touch with your college buddies?" Dean questioned him, taking the nozzle from the pump and bringing it around to the tank in the back of the Impala.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Well, what exactly do you tell them about where you've been, what you've been doing?" Dean asked, coming back around to the windows, leaning against the side of the car.

"I tell them I'm on a road trip with my big brother, and my little sister. I tell them I needed some time off after Jess." Sam said.

"So you lie." Rory stated.

"No." Sam shook his head. "I just don't tell them everything."

"Yeah, that's called lying." Dean stated. "Hey, man, I get it. Telling them the truth is far worse."

"So what am I supposed to do, just cut everybody out of my life?" Sam questioned.

Dean just shrugged and made a face.

"You're serious?"

"Look, it sucks, but in a job like this, you can't get close to people, period." Dean stated.

"You're kinda antisocial, you know that?" Sam told him.

"Whatever." Dean said.

"Bubby." Rory started. "Dee. Hey." She leaned out of her rolled down window, grabbing deans jacket sleeve and tugging on it. "Hey."

"What?" Dean turned towards Rory, looking at her as his voice was calm.

"I'm hungry." She told him. "Can I— um—" she stopped herself as she rubbed her knuckles together, glancing off at other people in the parking lot. "Can I have some cash to go inside, please?" She finally spit it out.

Dean slightly tilted his head at her.

"Did you take your medicine this morning?" He asked her.

"I'm out." Rory said.

Dean lightly sighed.

Rory did have pills she had to take for her adhd. Sometime after John had found out that Rory had adhd, he had taken her to the doctor to get prescribed medication for it. Rowan had been on the medication for a few years, and John had always been the one to take her to get it when the pills ran out.

However, John wasn't there right now, and Rory was out of medication.

John was the only one allowed to get her medication, so this was gonna be a little rough on Sam and Dean.

"Okay. Alright, here." Dean dug his wallet out of his back pocket, getting out twenty bucks for the girl.

He handed the twenty to Rory, and she smiled.

She got out of the impala, and rushed around it, going into the gas station.

"God." Sam spoke up.

"What?" Dean asked.

"This email from this girl, Rebecca Warren, one of those friends of mine." Sam started as Dean leaned into his window.

"Is she hot?" Dean asked, earning a look from Sam.

"I went to school with her and her brother, Zach. She said Zach's been charged with murder. He's been arrested for killing his girlfriend, Rebecca says he didn't do it." Sam told Dean. "But sounds like the cops have a pretty good case."

"Dude, what kinda people you hanging out with?" Dean questioned his little brother.

"No, man. I know Zach, he's no killer." Sam stated to him.

"Well, maybe you know Zach as well as he knows you." Dean said.

"They're in Saint Louis. We're going." Sam told him.

Dean chuckled.

"Look, sorry about your buddy, okay? But this does not sound like our kinda problem." Dean said, shaking his head slightly.

"It is our problem, they're my friends." Sam stated.

"Sam, Saint Louis is 400 miles behind us." Dean stated back.

Sam gave Dean a look, and of course, Dean got sucked in with those big brown puppy dog eyes.

Dean sighed.

"Alright." He said. "Let me get Rory."

Dean leaned off the impala, and went around it, going into the store to see Rory at the register, paying for a Deli sandwich and a sprite.

"Hey, change of plans." Dean said, catching his little sister's attention.

"What happened?" Rory asked, thanking the guy behind the counter as he handed her her change, and her bag.

"Sam." Dean sighed.

"Puppy eyes?" Rory asked, going out the door as Dean held it open for her.

"Yeah." Dean nodded, almost guiltily.

Rory giggled, giving Dean the change from the twenty, then running to the car.

Dean lightly chuckled at her and followed after her.

~~~

Rory tore a stem of leaves from the bush she stood next to as they waited for someone to answer the front door of the house they were at.

Rory threw the stem of leaves at Dean, he looked at her, almost annoyed.

Sam and Dean had been trapped inside a car with a twelve year old girl with adhd, and both brothers would agree Rory was sending them over the edge.

They couldn't admit it out loud though, because they knew she couldn't help, nor control it.

The front door finally opened, revealing a young blonde woman.

"Oh, my god, Sam!" She smiled.

"Well, if it isn't Little Becky." Sam smiled back as they hugged.

"You know what you can do with that little becky crap." The woman, Becky, stated to him.

They pulled away from each other, Rory looked up at Dean.

"I got your email." Sam told her.

"I didn't think that you would come here." Becky said.

"Dean." Dean finally spoke up, holding his hand out to Becky. "Older brother."

"Hi." Becky chuckled, shaking his hand.

"Oh, and this is Rory." Dean said, stepping out of the way to reveal Rory who had been standing behind him. "She's the baby of the family." He put his hand on her head, lightly ruffling her hair.

Rory pushed him away from her as Becky smiled at her as a way of saying hi.

"We're here to help. Whatever we can do." Sam told the woman.

"Come in." Becky stepped aside, letting them into the house.

Rory closed the door behind her, and followed after everyone else.

"Nice place." Dean said, looking around.

"It's my parents. I was just crashing here for the long weekend when everything happened. I decided to take the semester off, i'm gonna stay until Zach's free." Becky told them, leading them through the big house.

"Where are your folks?" Sam asked her.

"They're in paris for half the year, so they're on their way home now for the trial." She said. "Do you guys want beer, or water, or something?" Becky asked, looking between the three siblings.

"Hey." Dean smiled, pointing towards her.

"No, thanks." Sam said, Dean dropped his hand.

Rory came over beside Dean, leaning on the counter.

"So, tell us what happened." Sam said.

"Well, Zach came home and found Emily tied to a chair, and she was beaten up, and bloody, and she wasn't breathing, and so he called 911, and the police showed up, and...and they arrested him. But the thing is, the only way that Zach could have killed Emily, was if he was in two places at the same time. The police, they have a video. It's from the security tape across the street, and it shows Zach coming home at 10:30. Emily was killed just after that. But i swear, he was here with me having a few beers until at least after midnight." Emily told them.

"Maybe there was a secret evil twin involved." Rory stated quietly just before Dean nudged her.

"You know, uh, maybe we could see the crime scene, Zach's house." Sam said, glancing at Dean.

"We could?" Dean questioned.

"I mean, why? What could you do?" Becky asked.

"Well, me, not much, but, um, Dean's a cop." Sam told her.

Dean chuckled as Becky looked at him.

"He is?" Rory questioned.

"A detective, actually." Dean said, kicking Rory's foot.

Rory furrowed her brows at Dean, moving away from him.

"Really? Where?" Becky asked Dean.

"Bisbee, Arizona." Dean told her. "But i'm off duty now."

"I don't...I mean, it's so nice of you guys to offer, but i just— I don't know." Becky said.

"Becky, look. I know Zach didn't do this." Sam told her. "We have to find a way to prove that he's innocent."

Becky looked between Sam and Dean.

"Okay. I'm gonna go get the keys." She finally said, then walked out of the room.

As soon as she left, Dean whistled.

"Oh, yeah, man. You're a real straight shooter with your friends." He said.

"Look, Zach and Becky need our help." Sam told him.

"I just don't think this is our kinda problem." Dean stated.

"Two places at once? We've looked into less." Sam stated.

Dean lightly sighed.

Rory then came over and punched Dean in the arm.

"Why did you kick me?" She asked him.

"Because you needed to be quiet." Dean told her.

"I am quiet!" Rory said, her tone raising as Dean was just making her mad. "It's not my fault you're not a real co—"

Rory was cut off by Dean wrapping his arm around her, covering her mouth.

The brothers looked at each other, then up to see if Becky was coming back yet, which she wasn't.

"I need you to stop talking." Dean told the girl as she tried to pull Dean's hand away from her mouth. "Just be quiet. No more talking, okay?" He told her.

Rory pulled Dean's hand away from her mouth.

"Get off of me!" She said, then went to Sam, almost cowering behind him.

Dean swallowed thickly, realizing what was happening.

When Rory was younger, she would get in trouble a lot for talking so much, talking at all, or saying certain things, and it wasn't necessarily the usual, you say a bad word you go in timeout, kinda thing.

It was normally, if you say one more thing you're getting punished for it, and to say the least, it was never a timeout for John.

It was always a smack in the mouth, or a spanking, either with his hand, or with his belt.

That's how things worked, and that's how Rowan was raised.

Even though Rowan knew her brothers were way different than their father, it didn't ever stop her thoughts.

Her mind was always running, like a train on a looped track with an infinite amount of fuel.

It always gave her different questions, different theories, different explanations, different reasons, wether it was right or wrong, that didn't stop it from popping up in her mind.

It was always so consistent...until John put her on pills, of course, but before that, if Rory talked so much to the point where it started to annoy John, he would put tape over her mouth, or he would hold his hand over her mouth while he screamed at her to just stop talking.

When John finally got done screaming at the little girl while she sobbed her little heart out, Rory always ran to her big brothers, who comforted her without hesitation.

Especially Dean.

Dean knew.

He knew what it was like to be screamed at. He knew what it was like to be hit. He knew it wasn't a good feeling. He knew it lowered your self esteem. He knew Rowan didn't deserve that.

Rory had memories she wished she could forget, but she guess that's why they were called memories.

You couldn't forget.

Dean looked at Sam who glanced back at him, Rory still behind her brother, lightly fumbling with the back of his shirt.

"Rory, I'm sorry." Dean apologized. "It slipped my mind, I'm sorry." He stepped to them.

Rory didn't look up at Dean as he stepped beside her.

"Rory?" He asked, gently reaching to her and brushing her hair out of her face. "You know I love you." He lightly poked her cheek.

A slight smile appeared on Rory's face, making Sam and Dean both smile.

The brothers looked at each other, and smirked. Sam turned and the two men started to tickle Rowan, she started laughing, immediately trying to get away from her brothers.

"No! Don't!" Rory tried to be serious about it, but she couldn't.

She laughed, trying to push them away.

"Stop it!" She laughed.

"Why should we stop, huh? Huh?" Sam asked.

"Because!" Rory laughed, covering her stomach. "Don't tickle me!" She told them as they finally pulled their hands away.

"Alright, fine." Dean said, kissing the girls cheek. "We love you."

"I love you guys, too." Rory said, laying her head against Sam's chest.

Little had the Winchesters noticed, Becky had been standing in the doorway with the keys in her hand, and a smile on her face.

~~~

The three siblings and Becky, got out of the impala after Dean had parked it.

"You're sure this is okay?" Becky asked Dean.

"Well, I am an officer of the law." Dean stated just before they started across the street.

The four approached the house, Becky unlocking the door and letting them under the caution tape, and inside the house.

Rory came in after Sam, her eyes immediately going to the blood all throughout the living room.

Becky stayed outside the caution tape, hesitating.

Rory swallowed thickly, her eyes scanning over all the blood.

Sam noticed it, and he lightly nudged her making her look at him.

"Don't pay attention to it." He told her.

Rory nodded a little.

Sam looked back to Becky who still stood outside.

"Beck, you want to wait outside?" He gently asked her.

Becky shook her head, and ducked under the tape, coming inside.

"No. I want to help." She said.

"Tell us what else the police said." Sam told her.

"Well...there was no sign of a break-in. They say that Emily let her attacker in. And the lawyers are already talking about a plea bargain." Becky told him, her eyes filling with tears as she looked over the crime scene.

She let out a small sob, barely covering her mouth.

"Look, Beck...if Zach didn't do this, it means someone else did. Any idea who?" Sam asked her.

Becky lightly shook her head.

"Um, there was something. About a week before, somebody broke in here and stole some clothes— Zach's clothes. And the police, they don't think it's anything." She said.

Rory looked at a picture on the counter. She went to pick it up, but Dean grabbed her hand, shaking his head at her.

"I mean, we're not that far from downtown. I mean, sometimes people get robbed." Becky barely shrugged.

Rory looked up as a dog started howling and barking outside. She rushed towards the door.

"Rory." Dean warned her.

Rory opened the door a little more, stepping outside. Her eyes immediately went to the dog standing behind the fence.

Dean quickly came up behind her, gently grabbing onto her arm to keep her from trying to go and pet the dog.

"You know, that used to be the sweetest dog." Becky said as she came up behind them.

"What happened?" Rory asked, looking up at the woman, then back at the dog.

"He just changed." Becky said.

"Do you remember when he changed?" Dean asked.

"I guess around the time of the murder." Becky stated.

Dean lightly sighed, stepping back, gently pulling Rory with him. Rory kept looking back at the dog until she could no longer see it.

Dean led Rory back to Sam who was looking at a picture on the fridge, of himself, standing beside Becky and Zach.

"So the neighbors dog went psycho right around the time Zach's girlfriend was killed." Dean told Sam.

"Animals can have a sharp sense of the paranormal." Sam stated.

"Maybe Fido saw something." Dean said, raising his brows a little.

Rory furrowed her brows a little, looking up at Dean.

"So you think maybe this is our kind of problem?" Sam questioned their big brother.

"No, probably not." Dean shook his head. "But we should look at the security tape just to make sure." He stated.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"Okay." Rory nodded.

Both brothers looked at her, seeing a slightly uncomfortable look on her face.

"I kinda have to pee..." She scratched the back of her neck.

Sam and Dean both chuckled a little.

They looked up as Becky started walking towards them.

"So the tape— the security footage? Think maybe your lawyers could get their hands on it?" Dean asked her. "See, I just don't have that kind of jurisdiction."

"I've already got it." Becky said. "I didn't want to say something in front of the cop." She stated.

Rory giggled as Dean chuckled.

"I, um, I stole it off the lawyers desk." She told them. "I just had to see it for myself."

"Alright." Dean said, glancing at Sam.

~~~

Rory sat on the couch as they watched over the security tape playing on the tv.

"Here he comes." Becky said as Zach appeared on the screen.

"22:04– that's just after 10:00." Dean stated. "You said time of death was about 10:30."

"Our lawyers hired some kind of video expert. He says the tapes authentic. It wasn't tampered with." Becky explained.

Sam tilted his head upwards.

"Hey, Beck, can we take those beers and that water now?" Sam asked the lady.

"Oh, sure." Becky got up off the couch.

"Hey, uh...maybe some sandwiches, too?" Sam asked her.

Becky laughed.

"What do you think this is, Hooters?" Becky joked, then went into the kitchen.

"I wish." Dean said.

"What's Hooters?" Rory asked, biting her nails.

"Don't worry about it, and don't bite your nails." Dean grabbed her hand, pulling it away from her mouth.

Rory lightly furrowed her brows a him.

"What is it?" Dean asked Sam, coming over to him.

"Check this out." Sam said, Rory looked between her brothers as they weren't paying any attention to her, so she went back to biting her nails.

The two men stepped towards the tv as sam rewinded the tape, going back and pausing it just as Zach came onto the screen.

His eyes were glowing silver.

"Maybe it's just a camera flare." Dean stated.

"That's not like any camera flare i've ever seen." Sam stated, looking over at him. "You know, a lot of cultures believe that a photograph can catch a glimpse of the soul."

"Right." Dean nodded.

"Remember that dog that was freaking out? Maybe he saw this thing. Maybe this is some kind of dark double of Zach's-- something that looks like him but isn't him." Sam said.

"Like a doppelganger." Dean said.

"Evil twin, i'm telling you." Rory spoke up, her brothers ignoring her.

"That sure would explain how he was two places at once." Sam said to Dean.

Rory huffed, crossing her arms over chest.

~~~

Dean pulled the impala to a stop just before parking it and cutting the engine.

Sam got out, and Dean followed.

Rory yawned and opened her door, slowly making her way out of the car.

"Alright." Dean started, walking around the car with his coffee in his hand. "So what are we doing here at 5:30 in the morning?"

"I realized something." Sam said.

"Yeah, so did i. It's too early for this shi--"

"The video tape shows the killer going in but not coming out." Sam said, cutting his sister off.

"So he came out the back door?" Dean said in a questioning tone as he took a drink of his coffee.

"Right, so there should be a trail to follow--" Sam said, walking across the road towards some dumpters. "A trail the police would never pursue."

"'Cause they think the killer never left." Dean said. "They caught your friend Zach inside." he leaned against the front of the impala, Rory leaned against him, laying her head against his arm. "Still don't know what we're doing here at 5:30 in the morning." He stated, taking another drink of his coffee.

He looked over at Rory who was trying not to doze off.

Dean looked back to Sam as Sam was looking around, but then he stopped, spotting something.

Sam lightly scoffed and looked over at Dean.

"Blood." He stated, gesturing to the powerline pole. "Somebody came this way."

"Maybe the trail ends. I don't see anything over here." Dean glanced around Rowan.

An ambulance then sped by, Rory inhaling deeply and standing up straight.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, sharing looks.

~~~

Rory held onto Sam's hand as they came up to the house where the ambulance had drove to.

They stepped beside a woman who stood on the sidewalk, watching the scene.

"What happened?" Dean asked.

"He tried to kill his wife. Tied her up and beat her." The woman said.

"Really?" Sam asked.

"I used to see him going to work in the morning. He'd wave, say hello. He seemed like such a nice guy." She shook her head.

Sam, Dean, and Rory looked at each other.

~~~

Sam walked around the house, looking for any other clues. He walked out onto the sidewalk.

"Hey." Dean said, making Sam look at him and Rory as they walked towards him. "Remember when I said this wasn't our kind of problem? Definitely our kind of problem."

"What did you find out?" Sam asked.

"I talked to the patrolman who was first on the scene. He heard this guys Alex's story. Apparently the dude was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked." Dean said.

"He was two places at once." Sam said.

"Exactly. Then he sees himself in the house. Police think he's a nut job." Dean stated.

"Two dark doubles attacking loved ones in exactly the same way." Sam said.

"Could be the same thing doing it, too." Dean stated.

"Yeah, it seems too similar to not be." Rory said, crossing her arms over her chest as she yawned.

"Shapeshifter?" Sam asked.

Dean shrugged.

"Something that can make itself look like anyone?" Sam said.

"Every culture in the world has a shapeshifter lore— legends of creatures who can transform themselves into animals or other men."

"Skinwalkers. Werewolves."

"Two attacks within blocks of each other. I'm guessing we got a shapeshifter problem in the neighborhood." Dean said.

"Let me ask you this. In all this shapeshifter lore, can any of them fly?" Sam asked.

"Not that I know of." Dean said as Sam walked past him and Rory.

"I picked up a trail here. Someone ran out of the back of this building, headed off this way." Sam said.

"Just like your friends house." Dean said.

"Yeah. And just like at Zach's house, the trail suddenly ends. Whatever it is just disappeared." Sam stated.

"Well, there is one other way to go."Dean said making his siblings look at him. "Down."

The three siblings then looked down at the sewer lid on the ground.

"Oh, come on." Rory groaned just a little. "I have a hard enough time breathing as is." She stated.

Sam and Dean both chuckled a little.

~~~

Rory scrunched her nose up in disgust as her dirty vans hit the ground of the sewer.

She groaned a little just before Sam hopped down behind her.

He looked down the long tunnel.

"I bet this runs right by Zach's house, too." He said.

"The shapeshifter could be using the sewer system to get around." Dean stated.

"Gross." Rory said.

"I think you're right." Dean said to Sam. "Look at this." He stepped forwards, crouching down on the ground as he got out his pocket knife.

Rory stood behind Sam and Dean, looking over their shoulders as Dean stuck his knife into some sort of slime that had flesh and blood in it.

"Is this from his victims?" Sam asked with a small groan.

Rory put her fist against her mouth.

"You know, I just had a sick thought." Dean said. "When the shapeshifter changes shape, maybe it sheds."

"That is sick." Sam said.

Rory let out a deep breath, feeling sick to her stomach.

~~~

"Well, one thing I learned from dad—" Dean started as he lifted the hood of the trunk, and the lid to the Arsenal. "No matter what kind of shapeshifter it is, there's one sure way to kill it." He said, picking up a silver bullet and putting it in his gun.

"Silver bullet to the heart." Sam stated with a smirk.

"That's right." Dean smiled.

Rory looked up as Sam's phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket, and answered it, putting it to his ear.

"This is Sam." He said, stepping to the side.

"Where are you?" Becky's voice filled Sam's ears.

"We're near Zach's. We're just checking some things out."

"Well, look, Sam, just stop, because I really don't need your help anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"I told the lawyers that we went to the crime scene."

"Why would you do that?" Sam questioned.

"I told them that we were with a police officer. And they checked it out, and they told me there is no detective Dean Winchester." Becky stated.

"Beck—"

"No, I don't understand why you would lie to me about something like that."

"We were trying to help."

"Oh, trying to help? Do you realize that that was a sealed crime scene? This could have just ruined Zach's case."

"Beck, I'm sorry, but—"

"No. Goodbye, Sam."

Becky then hung up the phone.

Sam sighed, pulling his phone down as Dean shut the trunk, he and Rory coming around to him.

"I hate to say it, but that's exactly what I'm talking about. You lie to your friends because if they knew the real you they'd be freaked." Dean stated to his little brother as Rory looked between them. "It's just— it'd be easier if—"

"If I was like you." Sam said.

"Hey, man, like it or not, we are not like other people." Dean said. "But I'll tell you one thing— this whole gig...it ain't without perks." He held a gun out to Sam.

Sam lightly sighed.

"Hey, why don't I get a gun?" Rory questioned, furrowing her brows a little.

"Because you're twelve." Dean told her.

"So? You had guns when you were twelve." Rory stated.

"How do you know?" Dean furrowed his brows.

"There's pictures in daddy's journal." Rory shrugged.

"Yeah, well, it's doesn't matter. You're not getting a gun." Dean told her, walking past her.

Rory's jaw dropped a little as Sam laughed.

~~~

Rory walked behind Sam and Dean through the sewer as they each held a flashlight.

Rory looked around, shining her flashlight along the walls.

Rory continued to follow her brothers until Dean stopped, making her stop.

"I think we're close to its lair." He said.

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked.

"'Cause there's another puke-inducing pile next to your face." Dean told him.

Rory giggled as Sam looked over and saw another pile of that slime stuff draped over a pipe, right next to his head.

"Oh, god." Sam groaned.

"I think it's been here for a while." Rory spoke up, stepping forwards, pointing her flashlight at the other piles of slime that had some clothes next to them.

"Who knows how many murders he's gotten away with?" Sam said.

Sam turned and saw the shifter standing right behind Dean.

"Dean!" He yelled.

Dean turned, and was immediately punched in the face, causing him to slam into the pole next to him, hurting his arm.

The shifter turned and ran down the tunnel, Sam shot his gun at it, Rory covered her ears. Once Sam was done, Rory rushed to Dean.

"Get the son of a bitch!" He told Sam, grunting and groaning as he held his arm.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked Dean.

"I'm fine. Come on." He told the girl, pushing past her, going to follow after Sam and the shifter. "Stay behind me, you understand?" He said.

Rory barely rolled her eyes, and followed her brother.

~~~

The shifter had gotten out of the sewer, and the Winchesters had to spilt up to look for it. Sam went one way, Dean went the other, but Dean made Rory go back to the car.

Rory was starting to get mad.

As Rory was waiting for her brothers to come back, she sat on the trunk of the impala.

Eventually, she saw both of her brothers walking towards her and the car.

"You guys find him?" She asked them.

"No. He's gone." Sam stated.

"You got the keys?" Dean asked him as Rory hopped off the car.

Sam dug the keys out of his pocket.

"Hey, didn't dad once face a shapeshifter in San Antonio?" He asked.

"That was Austin. And it turned out to not be a shapeshifter. It was a thought-form— a psychic projection. Remember?" Dean said.

"Oh. Right." Sam chuckled, and tossed Dean the keys. "Here you go."

Dean caught the keys, and unlocked the trunk with them, opening it and the Arsenal. He smirked as he saw all the weapons in there.

"Don't move!" Sam told him as he aimed his gun at him, he kept Rory behind him. "What have you done with you?"

"Dude, chill. It's me, alright?" Dean raised his hands.

Rory looked between them.

"Sam..." she started, lightly grabbing his jacket.

"No, I don't think so. Where's our brother?" Sam said.

"You're about to shoot him. Sam, calm down. Rory, tell him." Dean looked to the girl, who looked worried and confused.

"You caught those keys with your left. Your shoulder was hurt." Sam stated.

"Yeah. It's better. What do you want me to do, cry?" Dean questioned.

"You're not our brother." Sam stated, lightly shaking his head.

"Why don't you pull the trigger, then, hmm? Because you're not sure." The man, who Rory was beginning to believe really wasn't their brother, said. "Dude, you know me."

"Don't." Sam warned him.

'Dean' then swung a shovel at Sam, knocking him out. Rory gasped, stepping backwards.

'Dean' looked to her, and she immediately grabbed Sam's gun off the ground, pointing it at 'Dean.'

"Come on, Rory. He left me with no choice." He told the girl. "Give me the gun." He held his hand out to her.

Rory shook her head.

"Rowan, give me the gun." His tone firmed.

"No." Rory shook her head again, but hesitating.

She was questioning herself.

What if she shoots him, and it turns out it really was Dean?

"Rory, just give me the gun, you don't know what you're doing. Just hand it over." He stepped closer to her.

Rory still hesitated.

She then stepped closer to him, slowly giving the gun to him.

'Dean' took the gun, and barely chuckled.

"Wow. You know, I really thought for a minute you weren't gonna budge." He said.

Rory looked up at him.

The shifter then backhanded her across the face, knocking her out.

~~~

Sam jerked awake to only find himself tied to a post. He looked around, breathing heavily.

He heard Rory talking, sounding angry and upset.

"Where is Dean?" She demanded.

"You don't need to worry about him." The shifter told her.

Rory growled and tried kicking the shifter as he was crouched down in front of her, but he grabbed her foot with one hand, and grabbed her face tightly with the other, making her look at him, as if daring her to try it again.

The shifter looked up as he heard Sam lightly groaning at the pain in his head.

He smirked at Rory and got up, leaving her, and going to Sam.

Sam looked up as the shifter in the form of Dean, came around the corner, and stopped as soon as he saw him.

'Dean' then walked to Sam, and backhanded him. Sam grunted, laying his head back against the post.

"Where is he?" Sam asked. "Where's Dean?"

"I wouldn't worry about him. I'd worry about you and little red over there." 'Dean' told him.

Sam clenched his jaw.

"Rory, you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Rory said, her voice dull.

"Where is he?" Sam demanded the shifter.

"You don't really want to know." He chuckled. "I swear, the more I learn about you and your family...I thought I came from a bad background."

"What do you mean learn?" Sam questioned him.

'Dean' picked up a knife, then looked at Sam. He then looked down, wincing as he grasped his head.

He grunted and sighed, lightly biting his nail before looking to Sam.

"He's sure got issues with you." He said. "You got to go to college. He had to stay home. I mean, I had to stay home— with dad and Rory. You don't think I had dreams of my own? But dad needed me. Where the hell were you?"

"Where is my brother?"

"I'm your brother." The shifter got down to his level. "See, deep down...I'm just jealous. You got friends. You could have a life. Me, I know I'm a freak. And sooner or later, everybody's gonna leave me." He pulled away from Sam.

"What are you talking about?"

"You left. Hell, I did everything dad asked me to, and he ditched me, too. No explanation. Nothing. Just— poof. Left me with your sorry ass, and a hyperactive little brat."

Rory clenched her jaw, holding back the tears that had been sitting in her eyes for a little while now.

The shifter grabbed a tarp, walking over towards Sam.

"But still, this life, it's not without its perks. I meet the nicest people." He laughed. "Like little Becky.  You know Dean would bang her if he had the chance. Let's see what happens." 'Dean' then threw the tarp over Sam.

Rory looked up as the Shifter came over to her with another tarp.

"You're sick." She told him.

"Mm." 'Dean' gave a sarcastic smile and threw the tarp over her.

~~~

"Damn it." Sam muttered as he tried to get his ropes untied, the tarp had fallen a little, uncovering his head.

Rory and Sam both looked up as they heard coughing coming from across the room.

"That better be you, Sam, and not that freak of nature." They heard Deans voice.

"Yeah, it's me." Sam smiled, happy to hear his real brothers voice. "He went to Rebeccas, looking like you."

"Well, he's not stupid. He picked the handsome one." Dean said.

"Dean, are you okay?" Rory frantically asked, finally speaking up.

"I'm fi—"

"Because if you're not, I'm really sorry! I had the gun, and I should've shot him, but I hesitated! I hesitated because I started thinking well what if it really was you? I would've just killed my own brother! I would have to live with the guilt of that, so I didn't shoot him and I just gave him the gun, and I'm sorry!" She rambled.

"Rowan!" Dean said, cutting her off. "I'm fine. Are you okay?" He asked.

Rory swallowed thickly, nodding her head.

"I'm okay." She said.

"Good." Dean nodded.

~~~

"Yeah, that's the thing. He didn't just look like you, he was you. Or he was becoming you." Sam said as Dean finally got his ropes undone.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"I don't know, it was like he was downloading your thoughts and memories." Sam stated.

"You mean like a Vulcan mind meld?" Dean questioned, throwing his ropes aside.

"Something like that. I mean, maybe that's why he didn't just kill us." Sam said.

Dean then got up, and rushed around to Sam who was closer.

"Maybe, he needs to keep us alive— like psychic connection." Dean said.

"Hands." Sam told him. "Come on, we got to go, he's probably at Rebecca's already." He stated.

Dean untied Sam, and rushed to Rory, quickly untying her. As soon as she could stand, she hugged Dean as tightly as she could. Dean hugged her back, squeezing her to let her know he really was okay.

"I'm really sorry." Rory told him.

"Rowan, it's okay, I promise. You're okay, and that's all that matters." Dean told her.

Rory hesitantly nodded her head.

~~~

"Come on. We got to find a phone, call the police." Sam said as they climbed out through a vent.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Dean said, climbing out behind him. "You're gonna put an APB out on me." He stated.

Rory climbed out behind Dean.

"Sorry." Sam said.

"This way." Dean said, brushing past Sam.

The three siblings began running down the dark alley.

After running for a bit, they came across a tv shop where they were broadcasting the news.

"...a white male, approximately 24 to 30 years of age, we discovered hiding in the home." The man on the tv continued as a sketch of Dean showed up.

"Man." He whined. "It's not even a good picture."

"It's good enough." Sam stated, then walked off.

"Man." Dean complained, following after Sam.

Rory watched the tv for a moment longer, looking at the sketch of Dean.

She hummed, then turned, rushing after her brothers.

They rounded a corner, and began walking down another alley, Dean then stepped in a puddle of dirty water, he jumped off to the side, his socks now soaked as he wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Aw, come on!" He groaned.

"They said attempted murder. At least we know—" Sam started.

"I didn't kill her!" Dean stated.

"I'll check with Rebecca in the morning to see if she's all right." Sam said.

"First I want to find that handsome devil and kick the holy crap out of him." Dean said, obviously annoyed and ticked off.

"We have no weapons. No silver bullets." Sam stated to him.

"Sam, the guys walking around with my face." Dean said, stopping and turning to the Sam. "It's a little personal. I want to find him."

"He's kinda got a point." Rory started. "I mean, I'd be pretty upset if I was being framed by myself who's not myself but looks like myself who's pretending to be myself."

The brothers stared at her for a moment.

Sam glanced at Dean, shaking his head at Rory.

"Okay— where do we look?" He asked his brother.

"Well, we could start with the sewers." Dean said.

"We have no weapons." Sam once again stated. "He stole our guns. We need more."

The three were quiet for a moment.

"Doesn't he have the keys to the car?" Rory spoke up.

Dean raised his brows.

"I'm betting he drove over to Rebecca's."  Dean said.

"The news said he fled on foot. I bet it's still parked there." Sam said.

Dean was quiet for a short moment, clenching his fist.

"Oh, the thought of him driving my car." He said, a slight growl in his voice.

"Aw, come on." Sam hit his arm, starting to walk forwards again, Dean followed after him.

"It's killing me." Dean said.

"Let it go." Sam told him.

Rory raised her arms.

"Oh, wow! What a great suggestion, Rory! We never even thought about the car! Great job!" Rory said, mimicking her brothers.

"Well, thank you, thank you very much." Rory mimicked Elvis.

She followed after her brothers.

"You're frickin' welcome!" She told them.

~~~

Sam, Dean, and Rory ran down the road towards Rebecca's house. The rounded the corner and saw the impala parked in front of the house.

"Ah." Dean chuckled. "There she is." He said. "Finally, something went right tonight." He said as they began walking towards the car.

Rory pulled her inhaler out of her pocket, going to use it, but then they heard sirens.

A cop car came from beside another house, turning left, the back of the car facing the Winchesters. It screeched to a stop and began to drive backwards.

"Crap!" Dean muttered.

They went to go back around the corner but saw another cop car ahead of them, it's lights turned on, flashing blue and red.

"This way. This way!" Dean rushed across the road.

"You go. We'll hold them off." Sam told their brother.

"They'll catch you." Dean stated.

"They can't hold us! Just go. Keep out of sight." Sam told him. "Meet us at Rebecca's."

Dean started climbing the fence.

"Dean, stay out of the sewers alone!" Sam said.

Dean glanced back at them, then hopped over the fence.

"I mean it!" Sam yelled.

"Yeah, yeah!" Dean yelled back.

Rory quickly used her inhaler, Sam glanced at her.

"Don't move! Keep your hands where I can see them!" The cop yelled as he and his partner held guns at Sam and Rory.

"Just do what they say, Row." Sam told the girl who was already putting her hands up.

Sam put his hands up.

~~~

"So say this shapeshifter is real." Rebecca started as she grabbed another beer for Sam who sat on the couch. "By the way, you know, you're crazy. But, um, say it is real. How do you stop it?"

Rory took a drink from her juice box, but felt something drip on her hand.

She looked down, seeing a drop of blood on her hand. She slightly furrowed her brows, wiping his nose on her sleeve, her eyes shifting up to Rebecca who stood behind the couch behind Sam, with a beer in her hand.

She gave Sam the beer, and he took it, giving her the empty bottle.

"Thanks." Sam thanked her. "Silver bullet to the heart." He said.

"You are crazy." Rebecca said, raising the bottle.

"Sam!" Rory yelled, her eyes widening.

Before Sam could react, 'Rebecca' smashed the bottle over his head.

Rory dropped the juice box on the floor, the shifter looking up at her.

Rory rushed around the kitchen counter, the shifter rushed after her.

Rory stood on the opposite side of the counter, she went to go one way, the shifter followed her actions.

They played a little game of 'Which way you gonna go?' Before Rory bolted one way.

The shifter grabbed her, and Rory screamed, fighting against the shifter. Kicking, elbowing, throwing hands in any possible direction.

The shifter managed to get Rory on the floor, and she pinned her down.

"Stop moving, you little brat!?" The shifter yelled at her.

Rory kicked her legs, somehow managing to get the shifter off of her. She coughed, getting on her hands and knees and trying to crawl away as fast as she could, but the shifter grabbed her ankle, pulling her back.

Rory kicked at the shifter, hitting it in the face, making it let go of her. Rory quickly got up, and started running.

The shifter stood up, and opened a drawer, grabbing a knife out of it.

The shifter then followed after the girl.

Rory ran upstairs, rushing to find a closet.

She found one and hid in it, holding her breath.

"Come on, kid. I won't hurt you." The shifter talked to her, creeping up the stairs. "I promise."

Rory brought her hand up over her mouth.

She watched the shadow of the shifter pass under the door.

Rory waited three seconds before throwing the door open and sprinting out, going for the stairs.

The shifter chased after her, and tackled her on the stairs.

They both fell, tumbling down the stairs on top of each other. Rory cried out, hitting her head on a step or two.

They eventually got to the bottom of the stairs and the shifter ended up on top of Rory.

"You're becoming a real pain in my ass!" She yelled at her.

"Pleases me to hear." Rory breathed out.

The shifter pulled the knife up to Rory's neck. She went quiet.

"I should kill you right here and now." The shifter told her.

"But that wouldn't be any fun, would it?"

Rory glared at her.

~~~

Sam woke up with his hands and ankles tied, his back against the couch.

He saw the shifter walking around, now in the form of Dean again.

Sam looked around, his eyes scanning for his little sister.

"Where's Rory?" He demanded. "Where is she?"

"Out of the picture." The shifter answered, Sam's heart dropped.

The shifter chuckled, seeing the look on his face.

"You and I both know she's just a pain in the ass." 'Dean' stated. "You should be happy. I did you a favor."

Sam swallowed back his tears.

He was just lying.

He was trying to get under Sam's skin.

"What are you gonna do to me?" Sam questioned.

"I'm not gonna do anything. Dean will, though." The shifter told him, looking through the kitchen drawers.

"They'll never catch him." Sam shook his head.

"Oh, doesn't matter. Murder in the first of his own brother and sister. He'll be hunted the rest of his life." 'Dean' said.

He then grabbed a big knife out of the knife drawer, and held it up.

Sam stared at the floor.

After a while, the shifter continued to ramble on, Sam now laid on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

"I must say...I will be sorry to lose this skin. Your brothers got a lot of good qualities. You should appreciate him more than you do." The shifter said, having just poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Cheers." He tipped the glass towards Sam.

He took a sip of it, walking towards the pool table. He dug into a duffel bag, pulling out the knife and stabbing it into the pool table.

Sam looked around, he watched the knife.

He then pulled his legs up, and kicked the shifter who stumbled to the floor.

Sam quickly raised up, starting to cut his ropes on the knife in the pool table.

He got the ropes around his wrists cut, and he pulled the knife out of the table.

He swung at the shifter who had gotten up, and came towards him.

The shifter grabbed his arm, and flipped Sam over.

Sam quickly got up.

"You son of a bitch." 'Dean' said, shaking his head, walking towards Sam.

They began fighting each other, Sam having the upper hand at first, then the shifter had it, then Sam had it again.

"Not bad, little brother." 'Dean' told him as Sam had his arm pinned behind his back.

"You're not him." Sam stated.

'Dean' swung back up, hitting Sam in the face. Sam stumbled towards the couch. 'Dean' walked towards him, and Sam swung at him, punching him in the face twice.

The shifter fell against the pool table, then quickly turned back to Sam. He grabbed the back of Sam's neck, punched him in the face, then grabbed his shoulders, kneeing him in the stomach.

Sam stumbled back, and the shifter took that opportunity to kick him into the book shelf behind him.

The shelf broke, the wood and books all crashing down on top of Sam.

"Even when we were kids," The shifter started, walking towards Sam who got up on his knees, crawling towards the pool table. "I always kicked your ass." He grabbed a pool stick as Sam stood up.

'Dean' swung the stick at Sam. Sam ducked, and the shifter continued to swing at him, breaking the lights in the meantime.

Sam kicked the shifter back.

They walked towards each other, and began fighting again. After a moment, Sam raised his fists, the shifter raised his, and they began fist fighting.

'Dean' then tackled Sam over the couch and they landed on the coffee table that broke underneath them.

Sam groaned as the shifter then punched him in the face twice.

'Dean' then wrapped his hands around Sam's neck and started to choke him.

Sam fought against him, reaching up for his face, hitting against his chest, but he couldn't win.

"Hey!"

The shifter barely turned his head, and quickly got up off of Sam, turning to see Dean standing there with his gun pointed at him.

His gun that was loaded with silver bullets.

The shifted walked backwards, staring at Dean, waiting to make a move.

Dean then shot the shifter twice, sending him flying back into the wall behind him, dead.

Rebecca then came into the house behind Dean.

"Sam." She rushed to Sam who laid on the floor, bloody and beaten, but alive, and that was what really mattered.

Dean walked towards the shifter, looking to Sam as he crouched down beside the monster.

Dean grabbed the amulet that was around the shifters neck, and pulled it off of him, holding it tight in his fist.

Dean stood up, his eyes scanning the room.

"Where's Rory?" He asked Sam who's eyes filled with tears. "Sam, where's our sister?" He asked, stepping towards Sam.

Sam barely shook his head.

Dean turned and began rushing through the house.

"Rowan!" He called out, busting into rooms, but seeing no Rory.

He rushed down the hallway, hearing the shower running. He busted into the bathroom, and rushed to the shower, throwing back the curtains to reveal Rory.

She laid in the bathtub, unconscious as freezing cold water hit her face and body. Her wrists were tied, along with her ankles, and she had a big bruise around her jaw.

Her arms were cut, along with her face, and she almost looked like the other girls the shifter had gotten ahold of.

"Rory." Dean lifted Rory out of the bathtub, getting down on the floor and pulled Rory into his lap as her clothes, hair, and shoes were soaked. "Rory, it's okay, I'm here." He told her, cupping her face into his hands.

He looked up as he saw Becky helping Sam walk into the bathroom. Sam's heart sunk when he saw their sister.

Becky brought a hand over her mouth.

Dean looked back to Rory, his eyes filling with tears.

He then noticed her brows slightly furrowing, then her eyes started fluttering open.

Dean let out a huge breath of relief, Sam doing the same and smiling.

"Oh, thank god." Dean breathed out, pulling the girl close to his chest.

"Dean?" She breathed out, her teeth beginning to chatter as her body shivered. "L-like, actually D-dean?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's me." Dean nodded with a small chuckle. "And Sammy's here, too." He said, looking to Sam.

Rory's eyes shifted to Sam.

"You l-look like shit." She told him.

"I could say the same for you." Sam said, slightly smirking.

Rory smiled a little.

"Ok-kay, but it's really c-cold." She stated.

"Right. Right, sorry." Dean said, pulling off his jacket and wrapping it around the girl.

"Are my fi-fingers still t-there?" Rory asked, trying to stop her teeth from chattering so much.

"Yeah, they're still there." Dean told her.

"I c-can't feel 'em." She stated.

The three adults chuckled a little.

~~~

Rory sat in the front seat of the impala, now dressed in dry clothes. The door open, but the heat was blowing from the vents onto her face. Her blanket was wrapped tightly around her.

Dean stood outside of the impala, looking at the map as he set it down on the hood to read it.

The two siblings looked up as they heard the front door of the house open, out stepping Sam and Becky.

Rory lightly sniffled, stepping out of the impala, her blanket still wrapped around her. She walked over towards Dean in her sock feet, her shoes were drying.

"Dean?" She asked.

Dean looked at her, picking up the map and turning, leaning his back against the impala.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"When I don't have my medicine, am I really that bad?" She asked him.

Dean slightly furrowed his brows.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Nothing. Never mind." Rory said, looking down at the ground.

"Rory." Dean said, she looked up at him.

"Am I really just a hyperactive little brat?" She asked him.

"What? No!" Dean furrowed his brows. "Is that what that thing told you?" He asked her.

Rory hesitantly nodded.

"Rowan, it was just trying to get under your skin." He told her.

"But apparently it's true!" Rory stated. "If I wasn't that bad, dad would've never had to use duct tape! If I wasn't that bad, I could've just stopped talking! He never would've yelled at me like he did...or does." She muttered the last part, her eyes shifting to the ground again.

Dean let out a deep breath.

"Come here, kid." He held an arm out to her.

Rory came over to him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I love you." He told her. "You know that, right?"

"I know." Rory said.

"And you know that Sam loves you?"

"I know." Rory nodded, looking up at Dean.

"And you know that you are the most perfect little sister anyone could ask for, right?"

"Okay, that's a bit of a stretch." Rory stated.

"But it's not." Dean chuckled. "You really are."

Rory looked over at Sam and Becky.

"Dad..." Dean started, Rory looked back at him. "Dad doesn't know how to handle some things. He won't ever admit it, but it's true. But, um...no matter what," Dean gently pushed a strand of the girls red hair behind her ear. "he does love you."

Rory smiled a little.

"I know." She said.

Dean smiled back at her.

"Alright, alright. Take your cooties somewhere else." Dean gently pushed her.

"No way! Sam's the Cootie Queen!" Rory stated.

"I heard that, you lint licker." Sam called back as he pulled away from Becky after hugging.

Rory giggled, getting into the backseat of the car.

"Well, will you call sometime?" Becky asked Sam.

"It might not be for a little while." Sam told her.

Becky looked to Dean who still stood by the car, patiently waiting.
She waved to him.

Dean gave a small smile, waving back.

Becky looked back to Sam, smiling at him then walking back towards the door.

Sam turned, sighing and walking towards the car.

"So what about your friend Zach?" Dean asked Sam.

"The cops are blaming this Dean Winchester guy for Emily's murder." Sam said as Dean opened his door. "Found the murder weapon in the guys lair, Zach's clothes stained with her blood. Now they're thinking maybe the surveillance tape was tampered with. Yeah, Becca says Zach will be released soon." Sam nodded.

Dean made a face and nodded, getting into the car.

Sam walked around, getting into the passenger seat of the impala.

~~~

Rory read one of her comic books as Dean sped down the road.

Dean then spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Sorry, man." He apologized.

"About what?" Sam asked.

"I really wish things could be different, you know?" Dean said. "I wish you could just be Joe College."

"Aw, it's okay." Sam said. "You know, truth is, even at Stanford, deep down, I never really fit in."

"Well, that's because you're a freak." Dean stated.

"Hah!" Rory laughed.

"Yeah. Thanks." Sam furrowed his brows, glancing back at Rory.

"Don't be laughing, you're a freak, too." Dean told the girl, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

Her jaw slightly dropped.

"Well, I'm a freak, too." Dean said. "I'm right there with you guys all the way." He said.

Sam smiled, chuckling a little.

"Yeah, we know you are." He said, Rory nodded.

"You know, I got to say, I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it." Dean said.

"Miss what?" Sam asked.

"How many chances am I gonna have to see my own funeral?" Dean said.

Rory raised a brow as the brothers looked at each other.

"You guys are weird." She stated, shaking her head, looking back at her comic book.

Sam and Dean both chuckled at her.

The impala continued speeding down the road.

Thank you so much for reading!