Disclaimer: Although I sometimes I feel like I've got Supernatural stuff going on around me, I do not own it.

This is intended to be a one shot. (for real this time)

DEANISDEADATTHEENDOFSEASON3

Sam finally got a hold of himself and rushed to Dean. He was too late. Dean was dead, he was never coming back. Ever. 'I'm never going to see my brother again...' Sam held Dean rocking back and forth, sobbing for his brother.

A white piece of paper slipped out of Dean's pocket. A letter. Sam began to read it...

Sam.

I'm writing this because I'll probably be dead in a few hours and I'm sorry. But there's something you need to know. I know I'm selfish. Just please don't hate me when you read this. I'm not your brother. If you look in the trunk, you'll find a book. I couldn't tell you so I started writing things down. But if everything went according to my plan, Dean is not dead. He might not be in good shape... But he's alive. Just please read. I hope you understand.

Sam hesitated, but bolted for the trunk. He needed Dean.

INSIDEOFTHEJOURNAL

I've been out of St. Louis for a week now. All I ever wanted was a family, this is my only openning. It's a broken family, but family. I hated feeding Sam that bullshit about seeing my own funeral. Dean Winchester may have supposedly died by a shot to the head... The thing is, he wasn't packing silver rounds. He didn't kill me. After I got out, I looked back. I have some of Dean's memories... I could pull it off. I didn't kill him, but the real Dean Winchester is taken care of.

NEXT

I know everything about Dean Winchester and I'm really pulling it off. Sam hasn't been in touch with his brother and I'm doing a hell of an acting job.

NEXT

I'm not supposed to feel. I mean, I feel pain and fear, but no real feelings. But I'm settling into the role more and more. I'm starting to see Sam as more of a brother every day. I've also started to actually care about things. The car, our 'Dad', Sammy getting visions and his nightmares. Wait, since when do I call him Sammy?

NEXT

How did I know Dad was possessed? I'm not supposed to know him but I do. I started to care about Sam months ago. As if he were my real family. Maybe because this is all I have.

NEXT

It's been a while. Maybe because I don't feel the need to write. No chick flic moments right? I was in a bank today... I killed another shifter. Like me. But not like me. I don't kill--anymore--or at least I don't kill anything that isn't 'evil'. The shifter killed in cold blood without a care. I've been known to be cold... but not like this, not for a long time. When did I get a concience? Say what you will, I still don't believe in a God.

NEXT

Sammy went missing. Demons. We--Bobby and I--went looking. Cold Oak. We found him. I was so happy to see Sam. Alive and in one piece... Before I knew it Jake came up behind him and stabbed him in the back. It killed me. I cared about Sam. Deep down I know the real Dean would never had let this happen. I went for the crossroads. I had to fix it. Who knew I actually have a soul to sell?

NEXT

I don't want Sam to save me. I should be dead. I'm not human, I did horrible things. I'm sure there was a cushy place for me in the pit already. I'm doing the right thing. It's killing Sam, but he'll live. And so will Dean...

NEXT

I really see the demons now. My time is almost up. The only question I have is why haven't I been found out yet? I need to tell Sam.

NEXT

Sam, if you're reading this, I didn't get a chance to talk to you. I'm the shifter from St. Louis if you haven't figured it out. But I'm pretty sure you have. All I wanted was a family. Thank you for that. Don't hate me, but I understand if you do. Dean is safe. He's alive. You can have your brother back. Go back to St. Louis. I had connections. Call 555-231-555. Some one will answer. Do NOT tell them who you are at first. There's a code. Say, "The time has come, the shifter said, to deal with many things." Yeah, it's a corny adaptation, but it'll get you one step closer. If they kept Dean alive--kill them if they didn't--you'll get an address. Go underground in the nearest sewer. I have an... old associate holding down the fort, and holding Dean. Kill it. It will kill you on sight if you don't get it first. Then you can get Dean out. You really have felt like a brother to me. Best of luck, I have no right to say I'm Dean anymore.

ENDOFJOURNAL

Sam dropped the book in shock. He'd been without the real Dean and hadn't noticed. Sam felt like the world's worst brother. What the shifter did was selfish, but... it saved Dean in the end. Sam believed that the shifter redeemed itself there. It also saved Sam's ass more than once. Sam looked at the thing he thought was his brother.

"I guess we're even." Sam walked out of the room to get his REAL brother.

INTHESEWERS

Sam watched from far away as the shifter went through the routine of keeping Dean alive. It was sick though. The thing had morphed into Sam so that every day it could taunt Dean. This thing was going down.

It rounded the corner. It was fast, but Sam was faster and a split second later it a gun shot echoed through the tunnels and it was dead. Sam took the key that went to the cell it had kept Dean in.

Sam was happy to see Dean up close. Alive. But they were quickly diminished when he REALY saw Dean. He was thin and pale. Not muscular and tan. He looked broken.

"...Dean..."

The man looked up and then back down. "Please... you're not Sam... Don't make me go through this again. He doesn't know I'm here. There is no rescue."

Sam had already unlocked the door. Dean didn't even try to escape. His face was bruised badly and there were scares... from trying to escape before. Had Dean really lost hope?

"It's really me Dean."

"Please don't do this again..." a tear fell from Dean's eye. He'd been tortured with false rescue obviously among other things.

Sam came and grabbed Dean's shoulders but stopped when he flinched away.

"Dean... I don't know what that thing did, but it's really me. I killed it."

"No. Y-you're lying again."

"What do I have to do to prove it to you?"

Dean remained silent. Sam left the door open and back tracked. He returned dragging his double.

"Here. See D-"

"SAM!" Dean rushed over to the thing. "You killed him you son of a bitch!"

Sam flinched but bent down. "Dean... that's the shifter..." It was easier to believe that Sam was dead then rather that he killed the shifter.

"Dean... Dean!"

"Don't touch me!"

"Dean... It's been over 2 years. Don't we look a little different?"

Dean glanced up and looked at Sam for the first time really and let the shifter's body drop.

"...Sammy...?" It came out as a plea, a whisper.

"Yeah Dean. It's me."

Dean was still unsure and looked back at the shifter.

"Ok... It's a long story..." Sam lifted up his shirt. "But since when have I had a tatoo?"

Dean was wide eyed and went still.

"Dean?"

Dean suddenly dropped the body with disgust. "Sam." He choked on a sob trying to hold back tears.

Sam saw Dean breaking down and Dean suddenly grabbed a hold him and wasn't letting go anytime soon. "It's ok Dean. I'm getting you out of here. I'm here now Dean. Don't worry." Dean was rocking back and forth in Sam's arms now.

"For real...?"

"Yeah Dean. For real."

Dean was still crying a little but managed to get his wit back. "What took you so long bitch?"

But that hurt Sam to the core. He shifted his jaw and was silent.

"...sorry Sam, I didn't mean--"

"Don't ever tell me you're sorry about this. Ever."

Dean was quiet.

Sam helped lift him up. "Let's get you to the motel."

"Sam... what happened?" Dean asked but was suddenly nearly blinded by the sunlight.

"Easy Dean. Just get in the car."

He did without question.

Sam could ask Dean what happened too... but it probably wasn't a pretty story... Sam suddenly realized all the things that Dean had missed. Dad was dead... But so was yellow eyes. The demon army... Lilith... the shifter... This was going to take a while.

It took a week for Sam to get all the information across to Dean. It took 2 months for Dean to get barely adjusted. He was scared and broken... but Dean was alive and Sam was getting his brother back more and more one day at a time.

"Dean..."

"What Sam?"

"I should have realized. I left you there..."

"Sam, you have no idea. I'm not going to lie. Being down there was like my own personal hell. But you saved me..."

END

AN: My first real one-shot. Let me know what you think. Should I stick to chapters?