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chapter four:
⤵︎  ⤹
⤷ SKIN ⤶
01 x 06

̔ ̔ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ
ᴢᴀᴄᴋ ̓ ̓

̔ ̔ ᴅᴏ ɪ? ̓ ̓

❏❐❑

"ALRIGHT, I figured we'd hit Tucumcari by lunch, then head south, hit Bisbee by midnight." Dean proposes to Eirene, who nodded, and Sam who didn't respond.

"I've been listenin', I'm just busy." Sam denied as he was checking his emails.

Dean scoffed. "Busy doing what?"

"Reading e — mails." Sam replied, not tearing his eyes away from the device. Dean sighed and got out of the car and started to fill the tank with gas.

"E — mails from who?" he asked.

"From my friends at Stanford."

"Yeah, because he actually has friends unlike you." Eirene added as she looked to Dean. The man just ignored her however.

"You're kidding. You still keep in touch with your college buddies?"

Sam shrugged. "Why not?"

"Well, what exactly do you tell 'em? You know, about where you've been, what you've been doing?"

"I tell them I'm on a road trip with Eirene and my big brother. I tell them I needed some time off after Jess."

"Oh, so you lie to them." he commented with a small snarl.

"No." he defended brashly. "I just don't tell them . . . everything."

"Yeah except that's called lying. I mean, hey, man, I get it, telling the truth is far worse." he pointed out with a knowing look.

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

Dean only shrugged cluelessly and rather too emotionlessly for Sam and Eirene's liking.

"You're serious?" he questioned in disbelief.

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

"You're kind of anti — social, you know that? No wonder you have no friends Winchester." Eirene joked with a wide and teasing grin on her face as she watched his face closely for his reaction.

"I have friends!" he defended quickly.

Eirene scoffed. "Yeah, name one that isn't me or Sam."

Dean stayed silent making Eirene laugh out loud. "Yeah, whatever Blackwell."

"God . . ." Sam muttered under his breath quietly. However, it was loud enough for the two arguing to hear.

"What is it?" Eirene questioned as she leant forward in her designated place in the back seat.

"In this e — mail from this girl, Rebecca Warren, one of those friends of ours."

Dean hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is she hot?"

At his comment, Eirene leant out the window and hit him on the back of the head, hard. "Are you serious? Is that all you think about?"

Sam just ignored them both as usual. "I went to school with her, and her brother, Zack. She says Zack's been charged with murder. He's been arrested for killing his girlfriend. Rebecca says he didn't do it, but it sounds like the cops have a pretty good case."

"Dude, what kind of people are you hanging out with?"

Sam glared at his brother. "No, man, I know Zack. He's no killer."

"Well, maybe you don't know Zack as well as you think you do." Eirene added as Dean nodded frantically at her.

Sam just glared at the brunette next. "You know Zack."

Eirene tilted her head in confusion. "Do I?"

"He's your friend too, Eirene!" the shaggy — haired man argued.

"Is he?" she asked, glad with where the conversation was currently going.

As amusing as Dean found the conversation, he knew he had to interrupt at some point in order to get this case going. "Where are they?" he questioned.

"They're in St. Louis. We're going." he replied as Dean chuckled.

"Okay, look, sorry about your buddy, okay? But this does not sound like our kind of problem."

"It is our problem. They're my friends." Sam urged as he then pointed to the brunette sat behind him. "Our friends."

"St. Louis is four hundred miles behind us, Sam." Dean added as he looked from Sam to Eirene. What with his brother's natural puppy dog — eyed nature and his friend's usual ability to convince him to whatever she desired without a single word being said, he sighed and pulled out of the gas station, the destination firmly set in his mind.

AS LONG as the drive was, Sam and Eirene both knew it would worth it as they finally pulled up to Rebecca's house. Dean rapped harshly on the door as Sam and Eirene walked ahead of him, glad to see their friend again.

Not a while after, the door swung open and Rebecca popped out from behind it.

"Oh my God, Sam! Eirene!" the girl beamed as she brought each one of them into a tight hug.

"Well, if it isn't little Becky." Sam joked.

"You know what you can do with that little Becky crap."

"I got your e — mail." Sam said as Rebecca nodded solemnly.

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

"Sorry to break up your little reunion but I'm here too just so you know."

Immediately, all eyes turned to Dean as he smirked at them all, wiggling his eyebrows at the brunette as he did so making her roll her eyes in annoyance.

Rebecca however, just laughed slightly. "And who is this?" she intrigued with a raised eyebrow.

Dean stepped forward and extended his hand. "Dean. Older brother." he introduced as the blonde shook his hand in return.

"Hi." she smiled.

"Hi."

Eirene watched the interaction with narrowed eyes. Did Dean really have to flirt with every woman he met? The man really knew how to make her jealous, even if he didn't know it.

As the pair still hadn't broken away from each other, Eirene knew she had to interrupt. "Okay, that's enough introducing today." and with that, she grabbed his arm and pulled him away which immediately brought the smirk off of his face.

Sam surveyed his friend's reaction and laughed slightly to himself. Those two really were oblivious to each others feelings. "We're uh . . . we're here to help. Whatever we can do."

Rebecca nodded. "Come in." she ushered as they all walked inside and Dean closed the door.

"Nice place." Dean complimented as he looked around the house.

"Thanks. 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 Zack's free."

"Where are your parents anyway?" Eirene questioned, finding it rather odd that they weren't here.

"They live in Paris for half the year, so they're on their way home now for the trial." she replied as they entered the kitchen. "Do you guys want a beer or something?" she offered as the brunette's face scrunched up at the thought of her drinking beer. Gross.

"Well, if you're offering  how can I refuse —?" Dean grinned.

"— No, thanks." Sam interrupted his brother's words with a sigh. "So, tell us what happened."

"Right, well, um, Zack came home, and he found Emily tied to a chair. And she was beaten up and bloody, and she wasn't breathing." Rebecca explained as she began to tear up. "So, he called 911, and the police — they showed up, and they arrested him. But, the thing is, the only way that Zack could've killed Emily is if he was in two places at the same time. The police — they have a video. It's from the security tape from across the street. And it shows Zack coming home at 10:30. Now, Emily was killed just after that, but I swear, he was here with me, having a few beers until at least after midnight.

"You know, maybe we could see the crime scene. Zack's house." Sam suggested. At least one out of the two brother's was being helpful.

"We could."

"Why? I mean, what could you do?" the blonde asked in confusion.

Sam smirked slightly as he gestured to Dean next to him. "Well, me, not much. But Dean here is a cop."

"Detective, actually." the older brother corrected.

"Really?"

Dean nodded.

"Where?"

Dean stayed silent for a moment before replying. "Bisbee, Arizona. But I'm uh — I'm off — duty now."

"You guys, it's so nice to offer, but I just — I don't know." the blonde denied kindly.

"Bec, look, I know Zack didn't do this. Now, we have to find a way to prove that he's innocent."

"Okay. I'm gonna go get the keys." she replied as she left the room and walked down the hall.

"Oh, yeah, man, you two are real straight shooters with your friends." Dean commented as he sent a look towards them.

Sam sighed. "Look, Zack and Becky need our help."

"I just don't think this is our kind of problem."

Eirene narrowed her eyes at him. "Two places at once? Cmon, Dean, we've looked into less."

Dean said nothing, clearly defeated.

AFTER DEAN had (rather begrudgingly) agreed to help Zack and Rebecca, they had all gotten into the car and drove to his house to look at the house.

Rebecca turned to Dean. "You're sure this is okay?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I am an officer of the law." he replied perhaps a bit to shakily for Sam and Eirene's liking but Rebecca didn't think too much of it and just got out of her side of the car. The three hunters following suit. The door was open already and they all stepped inside, the dark lighting inside not doing much to help their cause.

The furniture and walls of the house were absolutely smeared with blood making the brunette hunter remember of the time she'd found her family. There wasn't a single white spot left on the wall from the paint. It was just all covered in their blood. Her parent's blood.

At the gory sight, Rebecca just chose to stay on the porch steps outside, watching as the hunters walked and peered around inside.

"Bec, you wanna wait outside?" Sam asked carefully as he glanced back to the shaken girl.

Rebecca shook her head adamantly. "No. I wanna help." and with that, the blonde ducked under the police tape and entered the house after them.

"Tell us what else the police said." Sam demanded with a gentle tone.

Rebecca looked to them all with tears in her eyes as her voice broke slightly. "Well, there's no sign of a break — in. They say that Emily let her attacker in. The lawyers — they're already talking about plea bargain." she replied and with a final glance at the room broke into tears. "Oh, God . . ."

"Look, Bec, if Zack didn't do this, which I'm sure he didn't, it means someone else did. Any idea who?" Eirene asked with a grim expression on her face. The woman wanted nothing more than to get out of this house not knowing it'd be like this.

"Um, there was something, about a week before. Somebody broke in here and stole some clothes — Zack's clothes. The police — they don't think it's anything. I mean, we're not that far from downtown. Sometimes people get robbed."

Sam walked away as Dean and Eirene moved to the open front door only to see the neighbours' dog, barking loudly. Rebecca suddenly came up behind the two. "You know, that used to be the sweetest dog."

Dean furrowed his eyebrows. "What happened?" he intrigued.

Rebecca shrugged. "He just changed."

"Do you remember when he changed?" Eirene questioned.

"I guess around the time of the murder." was her reply as the two hunters look to each other wearily.

REALISING THEY weren't going to find out much more from the blonde, Sam and Eirene made their way through the hallway, stopping at a framed picture of them, Zack, and Rebecca smiling happily into the camera. Their silent moment of reminiscence was interrupted as Dean walked up to them.

"So, the neighbor's dog went psycho right around the time Zack's girlfriend was killed." he said as he too gazed at the picture, the man's eyes halting over the brunette before he turned back towards Sam and said hunter.

Sam ignored his brother's actions as he nodded to him. "Animals can have a sharp sense of the paranormal."

"Yeah, it's true. Maybe Fido saw something." Eirene guessed apprehensively. As mentioned before, the woman really just wanted to get out of this house. Hunting the supernatural was already a dangerous enough job and she certainly wasn't expecting to live past her teenage years let alone live to the age she was now. Particularly now that their new case involves her and Sam's friends. The whole case hit a little too close to home for her.

"So, you think maybe this is our kind of problem?"

Dean sighed and shook his head indefinitely. "No. Probably not. But we should look at the security tape, you know, just to make sure."

"Yeah." Sam replied while glancing to his friend who had been unusually quiet since this whole case began. Not once had she stopped to make a sarcastic remark or even poke some fun at Dean (her usual go to activity when she was bored). He supposed Dean noticed but just chose not to say anything out of his undying respect and admiration for her.

Dean looked over to where Rebecca was walking towards him. "So, the tape. The security footage — you think maybe your lawyers could get their hands on it, 'cause I just don't have that kind of jurisdiction."

Rebecca shrugged. "I've already got it. I didn't wanna say something in front of the cop." she admitted with a sheepish smile making Dean laugh. "I stole it off the lawyer's desk. I just had to see it for myself.

Dean nodded. "All right."

AFTER THE rather shocking revelation that Rebecca had in fact stolen the secured footage from the police, they all went to her living room to watch it. Which s where they were now.

Rebecca sat up at the sight of her brother. "Here he comes." she said as the tape showed Zack walking into his house.

Dean furrowed his brows as he looked to the time stamps. "22:04, that's just after ten. You said time of death was about 10:30."

The blonde nodded. "Our lawyers hired some kind of video expert. He says the tape's authentic. It wasn't tampered with."

This time, it was Sam who noticed something on the tape. "Hey, Bec, can we take those beers now?" he asked making Eirene grimace and roll her eyes. Typical guys.

Rebecca smiles lightly. "Oh, sure." she replied as she got up to get them but stopped when Sam called out for her again making the woman turn around.

"Hey. Maybe some sandwiches, too?"

Man, Dean's really pushing it Eirene thought as she peered to him then her friend who looked slightly amused.

"What do you think this is, Hooters?" the blonde joked as she walked out the room.

"I wish." Dean muttered as he and Eirene walked over to Sam.

"What is it?" the brunette questioned.

"Check this out." Sam reminded the tape, then replays it. One of the frames showed Zack looking directly at the camera. Only, he didn't look normal, his eyes were silver. Sam then paused the tape.

"Well, maybe it's just a camera flare." the older brother guessed which made Eirene scoff silently to herself. However the pair still looked over to her.

"Got something you want to say Blackwell?"

She shook her head. "Nope," she gestured to the laptop in front of them. "go on."

Sam sighed at their usual antics but continued. "That's not like any camera flare I've ever seen." he denied. "You know, a lot of cultures believe that a photograph can catch a glimpse of the soul.

"Right."

"Remember that dog that was freakin' out? Maybe he saw this thing. Maybe this is some kind of dark double of Zack's, something that looks like him but isn't him."

"Like a Doppelganger." Eirene realised as she moved closer to them.

"Yeah. It'd sure explain how he was two places at once." Sam replied.

These cases sure were getting weirder and weirder.

NOW, THE three were at Zack's house. Rebecca had obviously not came with them as Dean made a pathetic excuse of a lie to get them out of the situation which made Sam and Eirene inwardly cringe as he said something about 'helping his fellow detectives'. The two had barely managed to drag him out as he grabbed a beer and some sandwiches to go.

"Alright, so what are we doing here at 5:30 in the morning?" Dean questioned, he wanted nothing more right now than to go back to their motel room and sleep. Unfortunately, the three hasn't realised the time as they arrived.

"I realized something. The videotape shows the killer going in, but not coming out." Sam answered.

"So, he came out the back door?" he asked while leaning against the hood of his car and biting into a sandwich which the brunette reprimanded him for.

Sam looked apprehensively towards the now bickering pair. "Right." he cleared his throat to gain their attention making them stop for the time being. Sometimes those two really did act like a pair of five — year olds. "So, there should be a trail to follow. A trail the police would never pursue."

"Because they think the killer never left. And they caught your friend Zack inside. I still don't know what we're doing here at 5:30 in the morning." Dean sighed, rubbing his stomach slightly where the hunter had elbowed it rather harshly in his opinion.

"There's blood. Somebody came this way."

"Yeah, but the trail ends. I don't see anything over here." Dean denied as he walked over to where Sam was.

"Hey guys!" Eirene's voice interrupted them. "You might wanna look at this."

Both brothers turned around to see an ambulance speeding down the road, lights flashing continuously as it did so.

THE THREE had rushed back in the impala to follow after the ambulance and had stopped outside of a rather nice looking house. An Asian man was being handcuffed and forced into a police car. From the look on the passer — by's and on the now arrested man they could tell that he didn't so this. It had happened again.

Dean leaned over to a woman stood next to him. "What happened?"

"He tried to kill his wife. Tied her up and beat her." the woman replied, not taking her eyes of the grizzly scene.

"Really?"

The woman nodded. "I used to see him going to work in the morning. He'd wave, say hello. He seemed like such a nice guy." she added as they watch the man get taken away.

"HEY. REMEMBER when I said this wasn't our kind of problem?" Dean asked as Sam and Eirene turned around to face him. They were now back at Zack's house to look for any clues and the brunette sure was getting sick and tired of going back and fourth between houses.

"Yeah."

"Definitely our kind of problem." Dean answered.

"What'd you find out?" Eirene inquired, glad to know they were finally getting somewhere.

"Well, I just talked to the patrolman who was first on the scene, heard this guy, Alex's story. Apparently the dude was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked."

"So, he was two places at once." Sam realised.

The older Winchester nodded. "Exactly. Then he sees himself in the house, police think he's a nutjob."

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

"Could be the same thing doing it, too." he added as Sam thought for a second.

"Shapeshifter?" he guessed making Dean shrug. "Something that can make itself look like anyone?"

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

"Right, skinwalkers, werewolves." the brunette added in, muttering the last word under breath with a sort of twisted anger the pair has never seen on her face before making Dean shuffle back slightly into his brother.

"We've got two attacks within blocks of each other. I'm guessin' we've got a shapeshifter prowlin' the neighborhood."

"Let me ask you this — in all this shapeshifter lore, can any of them fly?"

Eirene furrowed her eyebrows in thought, her usual somewhat kind expression present on her face. "Not that I know of, why?"

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

"Just like your friend's house." Dean noticed.

"Yeah. And, just like at Zack's house, the trail suddenly ends. I mean, whatever it is just disappeared."

Dean looked to the two. "Well, there's another way to go," Sam and Eirene suddenly noticed what he was getting at. "— down." They all peered down and saw that there was a manhole. The brunette grimaced at the thought of her shoes getting ruined. They were her nicest pair and out of all places they just had to go in a sewer in them.

Typical.

SAM CLIMBED down the manhole followed by Dean and Eirene, of which refused his help when offered, and they looked around. There wasn't much considering it was a sewer. A rather gross one at that.

"I bet this runs right by Zack's house, too. The shapeshifter could be using the sewer system to get around." Sam proposed.

Dean nodded and looked to him. "I think you're right. Look at this." All three hunters bent down only to see a pile of blood and skin on the ground.

"Oh that's seriously disgusting." Eirene chocked back, feeling rather ill all of a sudden.

"Is this from his victims?" Sam asked. Dean didn't answer but took out a pocketknife from his jeans and held up some of the skin.

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

Eirene covered her mouth. "What, like a snake?"

Dean nodded.

"That is sick." Sam agreed as Sam put the bloody pile back on the ground.

AFTER WHAT they had just saw, and Eirene nearly throwing up on the way, the hunters had gone back to the car to get their weapons ready.

"Well, one thing I learned from Dad, is that no matter what kind of shapeshifter it is, there's one sure way to kill it."

"Silver bullet to the heart."

Dean smiled slightly. "That's right."

Before another word could be said, Sam's phone rang and the man quickly shuffled to answer it.

From the sound of the conversation, it wasn't going too well as they heard Rebecca's voice through the phone. "Goodbye Sam."

Nobody said anything but as usual, Dean was the one to break the silence. "I hate to say it, but that's exactly what I'm talkin' about. You lie to your friends because if they knew the real you, they'd be freaked. It's just — it'd be easier if —"

"If I was like you." Sam interrupted.

Eirene winced. "Ooh. He got you there buddy."

Dean ignored her. "Hey, man, like it or not, we are not like other people. But I'll tell you one thing. This whole gig — it ain't without perks." and with that, he held up a gun and Sam took it and placed it in the back of his jeans.

DEAN, SAM and Eirene flashed their flashlights around the grimy sewer with looks of disgust on their faces.

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

"Why do you say that?" Sam questioned, tilting his head slightly.

"Because there's another puke — inducing pile next to your face." was his reply. Immediately, Sam turned and saw another pile of blood and skin on a nearby pipe that was way too close to his face for the man's liking.

"Oh, God!"

They all looked around the area and saw a pile of clothes piled in a corner.

"Looks like it's lived here for a while." Eirene said while stepping a bit further back but she heard a squelch from down below. Looking down, she noticed she had stepped in some weird goo stuff. The woman internally groaned. That was these pair of shoes ruined.

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

Sam turned and saw the shapeshifter, still in the form of the Asian man, standing behind Dean. "Dean!" The man turned and got punched by the shapeshifter. He fell to the ground, and the shapeshifter ran away. Sam and Eirene were quick to shoot after it a few times but missed. Eirene frowned. She usually was a great shot but missed every single one of those shots. The brunette assumed it was the immediacy of the situation. She just joined Sam as moved over to Dean on the ground.

"Shit! Are you alright?" the hunter questioned with a worried gaze on the man.

Dean nodded rapidly as he yelled out, clearly not too happy about getting punched in the face and getting his clothes dirty. "Get the son of a bitch!"

SAM PEERED at their surroundings, looking for the shapeshifter. "All right, let's split up.

Dean nodded. "All right, I'll meet you two around the other side."

"All right."

Dean went one way and the other two headed in the  opposite direction. It had been a few minutes and there was no sign of the shapeshifter. Of course, finding it would be near impossible as it could of taken the form of anyone by now.

Eirene sighed as she lowered her gun. "I don't think we're going to find him."

Sam sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"C'mon, let's go." she gestured and they began to walk to where Dean had told them to meet.

"Hey." a voice broke out, making the two turn around only to spot Dean coming up from behind them. "Anything?" he asked.

Eirene sighed out and shrugged her shoulders. "No. He's gone."

He nodded. "All right, let's get back to the car."

"YOU THINK he found another way underground?" Sam asked as he stopped the car.

"Yeah, probably. You got the keys?"

Sam stopped for a second before he turned around.

"Hey, didn't Dad once face a shapeshifter in San Antonio?"

"Oh, that was Austin. It turned out not to be a shapeshifter, it was a thought form. A psychic projection, remember?"

Sam frowned. "Oh, right. Here ya go." he said as he threw the keys to him.

Sam and Eirene looked to each other alarmed, both coming to the same conclusion.

"That's not Dean, is it?" Sam queried.

Eirene thought for a second. "No, it's not."

Sam immediately got out his gun and the brunette was quick to do the same. They peered to one another and Sam counted down quietly before the appeared from behind the car.

"Don't move!" Sam warned, holding the gun up higher.

The shapeshifter turned and saw Sam and Eirene pointing their guns at him. "What have you done with him?"

'Dean' looked from his brother to his friend in question. "Dude, chill. It's me, all right?" he confirmed while motioning to himself.

Sam disagreed as he moved closer to the shapeshifter. "No, I don't think so. Where's my brother?"

He chucked half — heartedly. "You're about to shoot him. Sam, calm down."

"Oh please, you may look and sound exactly like him but you're only a carbon copy of him. That's all you'll ever be. Now, I'll ask again. Where is he?" Eirene demanded while she too stepped closer to the man. The brunette was not looking to play around.

"I swear it's me! Ask me something only I'd know!"

Sam scoffed. "No chance. You caught those keys with your left. Your shoulder was hurt."

'Dean' shrugged as he moved his left shoulder around in circular formations. "Yeah, it's better. What do you want me to do, cry?"

Sam narrowed his eyes and glared at the shapeshifter. "You're not my brother."

"Why don't you pull the trigger, then? Hm? 'Cause you're not sure. Dude, you know me." he tainted with a small grin on his face.

Neither Sam nor Eirene moved and it took its moment to strike. The shapeshifter paused before hitting the crowbar twice over Sam's body making him fall the ground. He then looked to Eirene who was about to shoot him but the shapeshifter smacked her over the head with the metal weapon and lowered her to the ground, kicking her gun away. This was too easy.

THE FIRST thought Sam had when he woke up, much like many who have been tied up, was where am I? Waking up in a dingy, dusty room wasn't the most ideal situation. His neck and hands were both bound tightly to a wooden post. The man looked around frantically for his friend only to see her too tied back opposite him with dark red blood dripping from her forehead and onto her clothes. Sam just knew how mad she'd be about that later.

The shapeshifter, noticing Sam was the first one to wake up, walked over to him and backhanded him making Sam groan out in pain.

However, he wasted no time in questioning the shapeshifter. "Where is he? Where's Dean?"

"I wouldn't worry about him." the shapeshifter shrugged off. "I'd worry about you," he gestured to Sam, and then to Eirene. "and your little friend over there." The shapeshifter posed as Dean chuckled and walked over to the brunette and crouched down, lifting her head up slightly to match his height. "She got quite a hit didn't she?"

Sam struggled even more so with his restraints at that, not wanting his friend to get hurt even more so by the supernatural. "Don't even touch her." he warned, sending a cold, hard glare his way. "Oh, and I suppose someone like yourself is going to stop me?" he taunted, watching as Sam tried to lash out towards him but ultimately failed due to the thick ropes holding him back.

"Don't worry Sammy, I'm saving that for later." he waved off as he dropped Eirene's head back down, her hair moving forward to cover her face slightly.

The shapeshifter then turned back to Sam. "Now, back to matters at hand."

"Where is he?"

'Dean' chuckled. "You really don't wanna know, trust me."

Sam glared at him once more.

"I swear, the more I learn about you and your family— I thought I came from a bad background.

"What do you mean, learn?" the shapeshifter stopped in his tracks as Sam grabbed his head in pain.

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

"Where is my brother?" The shapeshifter lent close to Sam.

"I am your brother. See, deep deep down, I'm just jealous." he said in an uncaring tone. "You got friends. You could have a life. Me? I know I'm a freak. And sooner or later, everybody's gonna leave me."

Sam only looked hurt and confused. "What are you talking about?"

The shapeshifter's wide grin turned into a dark frown, his eyes narrowed. He then walked forward towards Sam. "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. But, still, this life? It's not without its perks." 'Dean' laughed. "I meet the nicest people. Like little Becky and your good friend Eirene over there." he then smiled wickedly in thought as he looked over to the woman and then back to Sam. "You know, Dean would bang her if he had the chance. Let's see what happens." He smiled and covered Sam with a sheet.

SAM DIDN'T know how much time had passed but not once had he stopped trying to get out of the ropes.

Sam sighed in frustration. "Damn it." his sudden movements were paused when he heard movement in another area of the room, followed by the sound of someone coughing.

"That better be you, Sam, and not that freak of nature." Dean said, making him laugh slightly.

"Yeah, it's me." Sam replied as Dean managed to uncover himself from the sheet and started to undo his ropes. "He went to Rebecca's, looking like you." Sam added.

Dean sighed before he spoke up. "Well, he's not stupid. He picked the handsome one." Sam gave him a confused look, then continued to work through his ropes.

"Yeah, that's the thing. He didn't just look like you, he was you. Or he was becoming you." the younger Winchester tried to get out.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked as he finally managed to get himself out of the ropes and made his way over to Sam, Eirene the next thing on his mind.

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

Dean stayed silent, seemingly confused. "You mean, like the Vulcan mind meld?"

He nodded. "Yeah, something like that. I mean, maybe that's why he doesn't just kill us."

"Maybe he needs to keep us alive. Psychic connection." Dean suggested whilst untying Sam's ropes.

"Maybe . . ." he trailed off in thought.

Once Sam was untied, the brothers made their way over to their friend making quick work of untying the ropes. Half way through, the brunette lifted her head up. It felt like she had been smacked over the head with a crowbar. Although, she supposed that was what happened.

Sam spoke first, becoming increasingly more worried for his friend as he saw amount of blood staining her face. "You alright?"

The brunette just shook her head. Obviously she wasn't alright.

As Sam began to untie her legs Dean grabbed her face gently in order to not cause any more pain, wincing when she did. He tried to move her hair away from her face but failed in some areas due to it being stuck to the side of her face due to the amount of blood.

"Dean?" she asked with squinted eyes.

"The one and only."

Though she couldn't physically, Eirene mentally rolled her eyes at the man. Even in situations like these he couldn't be 100% serious. It was almost laughable.

"This might sting a little okay?" he gently warned as he tore a small piece of his shirt off and carefully wiped her head with it. It wasn't the best but it was something. Afterwards, he helped the brunette up and Sam turned towards them.

"Come on, we gotta go. He's probably at Rebecca's already." Sam hurriedly rushed the pair as he sprinted out in front of them.

DEAN, SAM and Eirene had finally managed to find their way and climb out a window. They were now on the street.

"Come on. We gotta find a phone, call the police."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You're gonna put an APB out on me." Dean put a hand in front of Sam's chest to stop him from going anywhere.

"Sorry?"

Dean sighed as he motioned for the hunters to follow him. "This way."

Dean had led them towards a shop that had multiple televisions displaying a news report.

"An anonymous tip led police to a home in the Central West End, where a S.W.A.T team discovered a local woman bound and gagged. Her attacker, a white male, approximately twenty — four to thirty years of age, was discovered hiding in her home." as she said this, a sketch of Dean came up on the screen.

Dean groaned as he looked at the television. "Man! That's not even a good picture."

"Really, that's your biggest concern? You're a wanted man and that's what you care about? How you look in a picture?" Eirene spoke incredulously.

"Aanndd she's back." Dean muttered under his breath earning a shove from the woman.

Sam, however, just looked around rather cautiously.
"It's good enough." he supplied as he started to walk away.

"Man!" Dean looked at it one more time with a grimace before turning after him, Eirene following.

"COME ON." Sam gestured, suddenly pausing in his steps. "They said attempted murder. At least we know —"

"— I didn't kill her." he interrupted with a solemn gaze.

"We'll check with Rebecca in the morning, see if she's all right." Eirene commented in an attempt to cheer the man up as she grabbed his hand to pull him along slightly

"All right, but first I wanna find that handsome devil and kick the holy crap out of him."

"We have no weapons. No silver bullets." the shaggy — haired man added in a defeated tone, not really helping their situation by stating the obvious.

"Sam, the guy's walkin' around with my face, okay, it's a little personal, I wanna find him." Dean tried to reason, not mentioning the fact that it was also the fact that the shapeshifter had beat his brother and his friend with a crowbar.

"Okay well where do you suggest we look Einstein?" Eirene teased as she smiled up at him.

"Well, we could start with the sewers." he guessed.

"We have no weapons. He stole our guns, we need more." Sam pointed out.

"The car?" Eirene proposed.

Dean shook his head. "I'm betting he drove over to Rebecca's."

"No, the news said he fled on foot. I bet it's still parked there." the younger brother spoke.

"The thought of him drivin' my car." Dean muttered, clearly upset.

Sam sighed. "All right, come on." he motioned for him to start walking.

"It's killing me."

"Let it go Winchester." Eirene sighed.

THE SIGHT of the impala brought Dean Winchester much joy (though not nearly as much as knowing that his brother and friend were partially okay was).

"Oh, there she is! Finally, something went right tonight." Dean spoke in a relieved tone as he stared at his car purely mesmerised. That was until a police car appeared and parked next to it.

"Oh crap!"

"You sure do have a habit of jinxing things don't you Winchester?" Eirene commented smoothly.

They all turned around, but another police car was parked a few yards away. "This way, this way." he motioned as he moved towards a fence.

"You go. We'll hold them off." Sam reassured.

Eirene turned to Sam in alarm. "We'll do what?"

Dean looked confused. "What are you talking about? They'll catch you."

"Look, they won't be able to hold both of us. Just go, keep out of sight. Meet me at Rebecca's." Sam added as Dean started to climb over the fence.

"Dean." the man stopped at the sound of his name being called and turned around as best as he could halfway over a fence. "Stay out of the sewers alone." Eirene cautioned with a weary gaze, knowing what the man was like.

Dean, however, said nothing and hopped over the fence.

"I mean it!" Eirene yelled as quietly as she could as not to alert the police officers circling the house.

"Yeah, yeah!" he waved off dismissively.

"Don't move! Keep your hands where I can see them." Immediately, Sam and Eirene raised their hands in the air.

EIRENE SCOFFED. "Look, I don't know what you think but Dean didn't kill those girls. I mean, he cares way too much about his hair and clothes to even think about doing something like that. And, he would never risk getting blood in his car. Like, ever."

The officer didn't look convinced.

Unfortunately, some officer had seen Dean with with Sam and Eirene and had brought them into questioning.

"Besides, how do you even know it was him? How many people do you know that wear leather jackets?" the brunette intrigued, thinking she had somewhat outsmarted the woman.

"Millions, literally." she deadpanned. "You're wearing his jacket right now." the officer pointed out as she gestured to Eirene's, admittedly rather poor, clothing choice for this situation.

Oh she thought. Well that sure didn't make her nor him look good. "Well, that's a very good point you make," she laughed playfully as she attempted to divert the officer's intimidating gaze off of her. "but, that doesn't prove anything."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Does it not?"

Eirene shook her head. "No."

"If anything, I think it incriminates you as well."

Eirene sat up out of her slouched state. "What? I wasn't even there that night you saw the cameras."

"So you admit that your little friend was there that night though?"

"No!" the brunette rushed out. "No, he wasn't." Eirene defended. This sure wasn't going well. She just hoped that Sam was having better luck than her.

"The security cameras say otherwise." the officer argued.

"Well your security cameras are wrong . . . officer." the hunter sneered.

The woman sighed as she reached out for a pen out of her left pant pocket and clicked it on, the click! being the only sound echoing throughout the room right now as she began writing on a notepad. Muttering something under her breath about ' suspect not sticking a to a story'.

"Excuse me," Eirene interrupted. "since when was I a suspect?"

"Since you gave me a reason too miss Blackwell." she muttered while still writing on the small piece of paper.

"What? But you know that I wasn't there that night, the security cameras can prove that."

The officer looked towards the brunette and smirked wickedly. "Well, our security cameras are wrong, so we may have to look again." she snarled.

Eirene didn't say anything but just looked astonished.

"Besides, how do I know you didn't just get your little boyfriend to do all the killing and beating while you took care of everything else?" the woman inquired with a sultry smile on her face, quite happy with where the conversation was going right now. Even if the two didn't do this they'd probably still be arrested anyway.

"We didn't do anything." Eirene seethed as she lent forward in the metal chair she was sat in.

"Maybe you did, maybe you didn't, but I guarantee you'll be prosecuted for it anyway." before the brunette could say a word, the officer spoke up. "Thank you for your time miss Blackwell, you may leave now." the officer gestured to the door with her pen.

Eirene huffed and got out of her seat and walked out of the door, slamming the door shut as she did so. How could she possibly think that it was her and Dean that had done all of it. God she hated police officers.

A for swinging open broke her out of her thoughts. The hunter looked over only to see Sam walk out looking equally, if not more, distressed.

"How'd your interrogation go?" he asked as he sighed slightly, his hands in his Jean pockets.

Eirene scoffed. "Awful. They think I'm the killer. Well, they think I helped him at least. Supposedly I 'took care of everything else'." the woman quoted the annoying officer with her fingers.

Sam chuckled slightly. "Well, if Dean ever did kill anybody I'm sure you'd be the first one to help him out." he laughed to himself once more as he mulled it over. Once he noticed his friend wasn't laughing with him, he peered over to her. Eirene didn't look one but happy as she had her arms crossed all while glaring at the man.

"Is there something you'd like to say Winchester because I'd love to hear all about how your interrogation went."

That wiped the grin off his face.

"Okay I'm sorry." he apologised sincerely.

Nothing the gaze locked on her, the brunette looked over to see Sam staring at her, as if waiting for something. "Oh don't look at me like that Sam. You know I don't apologise. Now let's get back on track here."

"SO, SAY this shapeshifter is real. By the way, you know you're crazy? But, um, say it is real. How do you stop it?" Rebecca questioned as she handed Sam a new beer.

"Thanks." the man took it with an appreciative gaze and sighed. "Silver bullet to the heart." he replied making the blonde chuckle

"Wow, you really are crazy." and with that, she hit him over the head with the empty bottle making him fall over, unconscious.

Eirene looked up to the woman in astonishment. "It's you." she realised.

'Rebecca' nodded and then smacked the bottle over the brunette's head, the glass shattering as she did so.

NOW BACK in the form of Dean, the shapeshifter finished tying up Sam's hands and feet and then moved over to Eirene. He crouched down in front of her and grabbed the hunter's face in the palm of his hand making her squirm slightly in disgust. 'Dean' chuckled slightly at the reaction he was getting from her. "You know, Dean would totally bang you if he could?" he stated but it sounded like more of a question to the pair. "It's a shame you're going to have to die."

He then started to walk around the kitchen.

"What are you gonna do to us?" Sam demanded as he tugged once again on his restraints.

The shapeshifter chuckled and turned to him. "Oh, I'm not gonna do anything. Dean sure will, though."

Eirene scoffed and shook her head vehemently. "They'll never catch him."

"Oh, doesn't matter. Murder in the first of his own brother and the woman he loves, or should I say loved, he'll be hunted the rest of his life." the shapeshifter then picked up a sharp knife and examined it, his face shining in the reflection of the metal object.

Eirene chose to ignore the shapeshifter's choice of words as she turned to her friend with a worried look.

It was weird seeing Dean's face being used by something so evil.

"I must say, I will be sorry to lose this skin." 'Dean' commented as he once more looked at his reflection in the knife. He sighed as he set it down on the table he had tied Sam and Eirene to and then went over to pour himself a drink. "Your brother's got a lot of good qualities. You should appreciate him more than you do. Cheers.

He then took a drink, picking up the knife from the kitchen and sticks it into the edge of the pool table as he did so.

Both hunters looked to each other silently, Eirene gestured the the man's lower body and Dean nodded in understanding. He lifted his legs and kicked the shapeshifter who immediately fell to the ground. Sam quickly sat up and moved his hands up and down on the blade of the knife. Once the ropes broke apart he quickly kicked the knife over to the brunette who used it to cut her ropes as well. The shapeshifter got up with an angry glare present on his face, allowing for Sam to take a hit at him with the knife. The shapeshifter, however, grabbed Sam's arm in mid — swing and twisted it making him fall to the ground.

"Oh, you son of a bitch."

He and Sam continued to fight. Sam tried to pin 'Dean' down. "Not bad, little brother." he teased while grinning wickedly.

Sam shook his head. "You're not him." The shapeshifter finally throws the shaggy — haired man into a bookshelf. From the impact, it fell apart and books fall on top of his head knocking him out in the process.

"Even when we were kids, I always kicked your ass."

"Hey asshole!" a voice broke him out of his gaze. The shapeshifter turned only to see Eirene coming at him with a knife. He didn't have much time to react as the metal object lodged itself into his shoulder making him scream out in obvious pain. This made the hunter wince slightly as she the man in pain but she has to do it knowing it wasn't in fact him. This thought pushed her even harder.

The woman pulled the knife out and went to stab it in his heart but she shapeshifter stopped her wrists halfway and pushed her backwards, the knife flying out of her hands.

'Dean' smirked as he looked from the ground to her, picking up a pool cue as he did so. He wasted no time as he tried swinging it at Eirene. The hunter, however, stepped back making him miss. 'Dean' glared at her before trying again. The brunette only repeated her previous actions. He tried a third time but Eirene took another step back and this time round lifted her foot backwards and launched it into his stomach making the shapeshifter fly backwards, not having expecting the sudden blow. He fell into the table making glass fly everywhere.

The shapeshifter yells in anger before rushing up and wraps his hands around the brunette's neck, choking her with all of his might. 'Dean' now had her pinned to the floor. From behind her, Eirene could hear Sam starting to wake up and shuffle about, presumably looking for his gun but coming up unsuccessful.

"Hey!" a sharp voice rang out. The shapeshifter looked up only to see the real Dean stood there pointing his gun at him. 'Dean' tilted his head tauntingly and got up from the ground making the brunette cough out as she tried to get the air back in her lungs. Nothing this, Dean aimed his gun at the shapeshifter and shot him twice in the heart. The shapeshifter instantly fell to the ground, dead.

At that moment, Rebecca entered and saw Sam and Eirene on the floor.

"Oh god Sam, Eirene!" she rushed over to them.

Dean, however, walked up to the shapeshifter's body and notices him wearing his necklace. The man frowned and yanked it harshly from around the shapeshifter's neck and nods knowingly at Sam, Eirene and Rebecca.

"SO, THIS is what you do? You, your brother and Eirene, you hunt down these kinds of things?" Rebecca questioned as she and Sam walked down hehe porch steps of her house.

Sam nodded while stuffing his hand in his jean pockets firmly due to the cold weather. "Yeah, pretty much."

Rebecca sighed out and turned to him. "I can't believe it. I mean, I saw it with my own eyes. And, I mean, does everybody at school — nobody knows that you do this?"

Sam shook his head. "No."

Rebecca looked like she wanted to say something but seemingly decided against it. Or, Sam thought she did at least. "Did — did Jessica know? About all of this?"

"No, she didn't."

"Must be pretty lonely.

"Oh, no. No, it's not so bad. Anyway, what can I do? It's my family."

"Well, you know, Zack and me, and everybody at school — we really miss you." she then looked to Eirene who was arguing with Dean about something. "Both of you." the blonde added as she moved to hug him.

Sam sighed sadly. "Yeah, me too." the man replied as they pulled away.

"Well, will you call sometime?" she queried.

"It might not be for a little while." he answered making Rebecca nod. She then walked over to the two still bickering by the car and grabbed the brunette's arm and dragged her away from the man.

"So, you and that Dean guy huh?" Rebecca questioned with a soft smirk on her face.

Eirene immediately felt her face flush as she thought back to the green — eyed man. "What!? No, no it's not like that." she denied harshly.

"Right, sure."

"Whatever." Eirene rolled her eyes. Rebecca pulled her friend into a firm hug before she pulled away and began to walk away into her house.

"So, what about your friend, Zack?" Dean intrigued as he looked between the two as Eirene walked back over.

Sam chuckled somewhat. "Cops are blaming this Dean Winchester guy for Emily's murder. They found the murder weapon in the guy's lair, Zack's clothes stained with her blood. Now they're thinking maybe the surveillance tape was tampered with. Yeah, Becca says Zack will be released soon." he smiled as Dean rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, man."

Sam looked to him with a confused stare. "About what?"

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

"No, that's okay." Sam shook his brother's worry off. "You know, the truth is, even at Stanford, deep down, I never really fit in."

Dean scoffed. "Well, that's 'cause you're a freak."

"Wow, what a kind sentiment Winchester." Eirene teased from behind.

"Always." Dean replied with a subtle smirk on his face.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm a freak, too. I'm right there with ya, all the way."

"Oddly enough, it does."

"You know, I gotta say — I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it."

"Miss what?" Eirene asked, her face scrunched up and her arms on the backs of both seats.

Dean turned around to face her all while while keeping a steady grip on the wheel. "How many chances am I gonna have to see my own funeral?" he asked.

Eirene and Sam shared a look of amusement before they burst out laughing.

Dean looked offended as he turned to the still laughing pair with a serious look on his face.

"I'm being serious!" he yelled which only made them laugh even more. "It's not a laughing matter!" Dean reprimanded as he switched his gaze back on the long, winding road ahead of them.